Changes
by zavyntara
Summary: Third year fic. Harry endures a lot of pain and problems this year. Draco and Snape play large roles.
1. Chapter 1

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"Get out here, boy!"

Vernon Dursley pounded on the door to the cupboard under the stairs. When the door didn't open, Vernon used the strength of his size to pull it from the hinges and dragged his wife's nephew out of the tiny room by his wrist.

"When I tell you to do something, you do it!" Vernon screamed in the thirteen-year-old boy's face. He threw the child against the wall and proceeded to kick at him. The boy gasped when he felt his uncle's large foot hit his chest repeatedly.

As soon as Vernon stopped for no more than a second, Harry scrambled over to a corner of the room. He pulled his knees up to his chest and covered his head with his arms. Rocking back and forth, he mumbled for his uncle to stop, but Vernon showed no signs of ceasing any time soon.

"I'm sorry for whatever I did, please, stop, I'm sorry..."

~~~

****

Thursday, September 2, 1993

"I'm sorry for whatever I did, please, stop, I'm sorry..."

"Harry!" He felt someone shaking him and whispering. "Harry, wake up, Snape--"

"Mr. Potter!" 

Harry awoke quickly when he heard the deep, angry voice. He looked around and saw that he was in his Potions class, and that the whole class was staring at him. The Slytherins on the opposite side of the room were all snickering, whereas the Gryffindors watched silently. Harry's best friends, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, looked concerned. Hearing the Potions Master's voice again, Harry snapped his head up to look at the professor. Once he saw the man's pale face, his expression full of anger, Harry turned his gaze towards his hands in his lap.

"Mr. Potter, do you realize that it is only the first day back to school, and you have already fallen asleep in my class?" Professor Snape sneered at him. "One would think that you would have had enough time during your summer holidays to sleep, and not have to do it in my class! Look at me when I'm talking to you, Potter!"

"I-I'm sorry, sir," Harry stuttered, quietly. "It won't-- It won't happen again."

"I should hope not. Twenty points from Gryffindor, and you will have three days of detention. Stay after class to arrange them." 

At that, Hermione swore that she saw a flicker of fear in Harry's eyes. Looking back at Snape, she realized that she hadn't been the only one to notice. The teacher's expression showed slight surprise.

"Yes, sir." Harry looked back to his hands, and Snape made his way back to the front of the room.

"Everyone take your cauldrons out!" he announced. "I want you all to make the Eye Color Potion, and it must be done by the end of class; otherwise, you will stay here and finish it."

Hermione went to sit next to Harry, as the potion was to be made in partners. As they readied their ingredients, Hermione spoke quietly to Harry.

"Are you all right? It sounded like you were having a pretty bad dream." Harry merely nodded. He didn't want to get into more trouble for talking. 

At the end of class, everyone left except for Harry, Hermione, and Ron.

"Do you want us to wait for you?" Hermione asked.

"No... You two don't need to be late to Charms as well," Harry responded, quietly. "Go on. I'll be there as soon as I can."

"Good luck, mate," Ron offered, clapping a hand on Harry's shoulder. Harry inhaled sharply when a surge of pain coursed through his arm and back. "Sorry about that. We'll see you later." Harry's friends left, and Harry gathered his books, carrying them in his right arm. He slowly made his way up to Snape's desk, where the teacher was scribbling on a piece of paper. He didn't even look at Harry.

"Potter, if you answer some questions for me, then I will reconsider your detentions."

"Wh-what kinds of questions, sir?" Harry wondered.

"Can you give me a good reason as to why you fell asleep in my class on the first day of school?"

"I didn't sleep very well over the holiday, sir," the boy answered, truthfully. "I'm just really tired... I tried to stay awake, Professor, I really did!" Snape's eyes narrowed when he heard the shaky tone in Harry's voice.

"You had a nightmare today. You were talking in your sleep, and you were telling someone not to hurt you."

"I was?"

"Yes, Potter, you were." Snape changed the subject. "I also noticed that you have gotten thinner over the summer, yet at breakfast this morning, you ate nearly everything you saw. It was quite disgusting, might I add... It has been like that every year you've been at Hogwarts. You come looking thin and sick, and you leave looking healthy and strong. But then when you come back, it's the same thing. Why is that, Potter?"

"Um... I don't know, sir."

"There is something else I noticed about you today, Potter." The professor took this time to look up, and kept his gaze set on Harry. "When you arrived at the beginning of class, you were out of breath, yet you could not breathe properly because it obviously caused you a severe amount of pain. You have several cuts and bruises on your face and your neck, and I believe I saw a bandage on your left wrist. Also, I saw your reaction when Mr. Weasley touched your shoulder just now.

"But do you know what stood out most in my mind, Mr. Potter?" Harry shook his head. "You seem afraid of me. That in itself shows that something isn't right with you, because never before have you seemed scared of me."

"So tell me... Why am I noticing all these strange things about you? Why are you in so much physical pain? Where did all those injuries come from? Why do you look like you will suddenly just fall apart if I say the wrong word or make a wrong move?"

"I-I don't know, sir." Harry's voice was no more than a whisper.

"You don't know, Potter?" Snape asked in a soft voice. "Or you don't want to tell me?" Harry was silent. "Very well, then. You may go." Harry nodded and headed for the door. "Oh, and Potter? Forget the detentions, and don't ever fall asleep in my class again."

~~~

"How did it go with Snape, Harry?" Hermione asked at lunch, as they hadn't gotten a chance to talk in Charms. Harry shrugged his shoulders.

"No detentions," he said, quietly. Ron's mouth dropped open.

"How did you get out of it?!" he asked in awe. "Last year I had to go to Snape's detentions even if I was sick!" Harry shook his head and stood up from the table.

"I'm not feeling very well," he mumbled. "I think I'm going to go up to the dorm and..." His words trailed to an end.

"Do you need to go to the hospital wing?" Hermione wondered, a look of concern taking over her face.

"No, I--I think I just need some sleep." With that, Harry left the Great Hall. Hermione turned to look at Ron.

"He doesn't look good at all, Ron," she sighed.

"Do you think Snape did something to him?" Ron wondered, his eyes wide. "Maybe gave him some kind of sickness potion, or--"

"No, no!" Hermione cut him off. "Didn't you see how he was acting in Potions? And that nightmare he had... Something's wrong. Something is really wrong."

"Should we tell Dumbledore?" Hermione closed her eyes and took a deep breath, then looked back at her friend.

"Yes. I think we should tell him right away. After lunch, we'll tell him."

Meanwhile, Harry was dragging himself up the stairs to the Gryffindor Tower. He prayed that the staircases wouldn't move, and thankfully, they didn't. Slowly but surely, Harry made it to the portrait of the Fat Lady with no trouble.

"You look a fright!" the Fat Lady exclaimed when she saw Harry.

"Yeah, I know," Harry sighed. "Chocolate frog." 

The portrait swung open, and Harry went up to the room he shared with Ron, Neville, Seamus, and Dean. After rummaging through his trunk, Harry climbed into his bed, under the blankets, and clutched a small object in his hand.

__

Why isthis the only thing that brings me comfort anymore? He thought to himself shortly before drifting off to a restless sleep.

~~~

Ron and Hermione had planned on catching Dumbledore before he left the Great Hall, but when they finished their lunch, the looked up towards the teachers' table and found that the headmaster was already gone.

"Oh, I knew we should have gone to him sooner!" Hermione sighed.

"Let's ask McGonagall where he went," Ron suggested. "Then if we can't talk to him, we'll talk to her." Hermione agreed, and the two of them quickly headed for Professor McGonagall, the Transfiguration teacher.

"Professor!" Ron exclaimed, running up to the woman.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Weasley, Miss Granger, but I must go to a meeting with Professor Dumbledore," McGonagall said. 

"Professor, please, this is an emergency," Hermione begged. "We need to talk to either you or Professor Dumbledore im-_med_-iately." McGonagall stared at the two for a moment, noticing that Harry wasn't with them. That was odd, since the three were hardly ever separated.

"All right," the professor said. "Follow me." She led them up to Dumbledore's office and said the password to get in. "Headmaster, you have two visitors who say that they need to speak with you immediately."

Albus Dumbledore came to greet his guests and brought them to a sofa, where they all sat down. McGonagall sat in a chair, as well, as Hermione had said that they wanted to talk to the teacher too.

"Miss Granger, Mr. Weasley, what can I do for you?" Dumbledore asked.

"Headmaster, something is wrong with Harry," Hermione began. The old man held a hand up to stop her.

"Are you referring to his lack of sleep, his nightmares, and his sudden fear of people?" 

"How did you know?" Ron asked.

"Professor Snape came to me after he spoke with Mr. Potter," Dumbledore explained. "It seems that the same things, plus others, have concerned him as well." 

"Professor Snape, concerned about Harry Potter?" Ron snorted. "I don't believe that." Hermione elbowed Ron in his side.

"What other things, Headmaster?" she wondered.

"Snape has noticed that every year, Harry leaves the school healthy, and when he comes back, he is very thin and sickly." The Headmaster glanced at McGonagall, then back at the students. 

"Professor Snape also noticed that Harry has several cuts and bruises on his face and on his neck. He saw a bandage on Harry's wrist, and it seemed that he has shoulder, back, and chest injuries, as well."

"Where is Harry now?" McGonagall inquired, softly, after a few moments. Hermione and Ron were still shocked by what they'd heard from Dumbledore. They hadn't noticed the injuries!

"Um... He said he wasn't feeling well," Ron replied. "He went up to the dorm to get some sleep."

"We asked if he wanted to go see Madam Pomfrey," Hermione added. "But he insisted that all he needed was sleep."

"You are good friends for coming to me about this," Dumbledore told them. "To be so concerned about Harry."

"What are you going to do?" Ron asked.

"I am going to ask all of Harry's teachers to keep an eye on him for the next day or so. They are to report to me as much about his behavior as they can. After that, I will insist that he go to the hospital wing, if only to be checked out by Madam Pomfrey. From there, I don't know what I'll do yet. If you find anything else strange, or if anything worries you, please let me know." Hermione and Ron agreed.

"Thank you, sir," Hermione said. 

~~~


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Anything you recognize, I don't own. That goes for the entire story, in case I forget a disclaimer on every chapter (like I did last chapter).

~~~

__

He sat on his bed in the tiny room, curled up in a ball. Rocking back and forth, he ignored the searing pain from his arms, his legs, his whole body. He just sat in the dark, taking shallow, ragged breaths. It was hard to breathe. His uncle had closed the vent and locked the door from the outside. 

He was suffocating. The room was so small, and it only seemed to get smaller. It was like being inside a coffin; being buried alive. He began to shake violently, gasping for air.

'Help me...' his mind formed the words, but he could not speak them. He felt his chest tightening even more. The walls of the closet were closing in, until he felt like he couldn't even move.

Then, suddenly, the door was pulled open. He began to scream, while at the same time trying to breathe. Finally, darkness welcomed him into its comforting arms...

~~~

****

Friday, September 3, 1993

"Harry! Harry, it's Ron, wake up! You're only dreaming!"

Harry opened his eyes slightly, and he found himself in the dorm room. But he was huddled on the floor in the corner where his bed and the wall met. His arms were wrapped around himself as he shivered. He tried to take deep breaths, but the pain in his chest was so immense that he felt like he was hyperventilating. Glancing frantically around the room, he found all of his roommates awake and staring. Ron was kneeling about two feet away from Harry, trying to calm him down.

"Harry, calm down, all right?" Ron pleaded. "Take deep breaths." He looked back at the other roommates. "Go get someone!" 

Seamus ran out of the room as quickly as he could and left through the portrait hole. Almost immediately, he ran into Professor Lupin, the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. The teacher grabbed Seamus by his shoulders and stopped him.

"It's nearly midnight, why are you running into the halls?" Lupin asked, sternly.

"Professor, something's happened with Harry Potter!" Seamus exclaimed. Lupin's eyes widened.

"Take me to him."

By the time Seamus had led Lupin to the dorm room, there were a dozen other students crowded around the doorway, trying to see what was going on. Lupin pushed through the crowd and entered the room, gasping at the sight before him.

Harry was no longer conscious. He had passed out shortly after Seamus left, and his body had been in convulsions since then. As soon as one seizure stopped, another would start. Ron was on the floor with Harry, trying to pull him away from anything that he could hit. Numerous bruises were already appearing on Harry's hands and legs.

As soon as Lupin got over the initial shock, he began to take charge.

"Everyone who does not belong in this room, please go back to your own rooms!" he announced. Reluctantly, the students left, except for Ron, Neville, Seamus, and Dean. "Ron, it's all right. I'll take over from here. You've done a good job."

Lupin knelt down over Harry's shaking body and took his wand out. Muttering a few words, he waved his wand a little, and Harry stopped convulsing.

"The seizures have only stopped long enough for me to hurry and carry him to the hospital wing," Lupin said. "Ron, come with me." Lupin carefully lifted Harry's featherweight body and quickly made his way to the hospital wing, with Ron following close behind.

"Poppy!" Lupin called as he lowered Harry onto a bed. The seizures almost immediately started again. "Poppy, we have a situation!"

Madam Pomfrey came into the room, letting out a small gasp when she saw Harry. She grabbed a couple of potion bottles and rushed over to the bed.

"Ron, I asked you to come because I need you to tell Madam Pomfrey exactly what happened. All right?" Lupin looked closely at Ron, who nodded weakly. "I'm going to inform Dumbledore of the situation."

"Harry was asleep, but I couldn't sleep, so I was reading," Ron told Madam Pomfrey, quietly. She was carefully pouring a blue potion into Harry's mouth, and within seconds, the seizures stopped. "Um... I heard noises coming from Harry's part of the room, so I looked over, and he wasn't on his bed, but he was on the floor, in the corner by the wall. He was curled up in a ball, rocking back and forth. It was like, he couldn't breathe. He was gasping for breath. 

"I tried to wake him up; I think he was having another nightmare. When he woke up, I tried to calm him down so he could breathe right, but it was like every breath he took hurt him. I could see on his face how much pain he was in. Seamus left to find help, and right after, Harry passed out and started having seizures. That's when Professor Lupin came in."

Soon Madam Pomfrey had Harry sleeping calmly on the bed. She'd given him a medicine to help his breathing, as well as a Dreamless Sleep Potion. She made Ron leave the room for a 

while, so that she could further examine Harry, as Dumbledore had requested. When she was finished, she allowed Ron to come back in and sit with Harry. Meanwhile, she went into the next room to speak with Dumbledore, Lupin, Snape, and McGonagall, who had all been informed of what had happened. Ron listened closely.

"The boy is severely malnourished," Pomfrey told the teachers. "He needs to gain a lot of weight--"

"Severus noticed that throughout the school year, Harry gains weight and starts to look more healthy. But during the summer holidays, he loses all of the weight and has to start over." That was McGonagall.

"He also has numerous injuries," Pomfrey continued. "Cuts, bruises, fractures, broken bones... I don't know how he has functioned properly. Several of his ribs are broken, others are fractured. His collarbone is broken. His wrist is fractured. I even found what looks to be a footprint on his back, as well as on his chest!" Ron let out a silent gasp, and he heard McGonagall sniffling.

"Albus," Lupin said, softly. "What do we really know about those people he's staying with? Other than the fact that they're relations?"

"I agree with Remus," Snape said, firmly. "If this is what they're doing to the boy, then we need to take him out of there."

"And the seizures, Poppy?" Dumbledore asked, quietly.

"I'm not sure," Pomfrey replied. "I can guarantee he's had many head injuries. The seizures could be caused by brain damage. Or, possibly, he only had the seizures because of his inability to breathe... When he wakes up, we'll have to see what kind of mental and emotional damage has been done."

"I'll tell you what kind of damage has been done," Snape said, bitterly. "He's scared of everyone he comes across. When I told him to see me after class, he flinched and looked away from me. He came to my desk, and I started asking questions. He was shaking and stuttering. I thought he was going to cry or faint." The Potions master sighed.

"If I'd known what was going on with him away from Hogwarts, if I'd known what those...Muggles were doing to him... I never would have treated him so badly. I never would have singled him out or taunted him. I'm beginning to think that maybe I've caused some of that mental damage."

"Don't be so hard on yourself, Severus," Dumbledore said, softly. "You couldn't have known. None of us knew. But from now on, perhaps you could take it a little easier on the boy."

"Madam Pomfrey?" Ron said, appearing in the doorway. "Didn't you give Harry Dreamless Sleep Potion?" Pomfrey confirmed this. "I-I think he's dreaming again." Madam Pomfrey went to join Ron by Harry's bed.

"Go back to bed, all of you," Dumbledore told the three professors. Then he changed his mind. "Actually, Severus, would you mind staying for a moment?"

"Of course, Headmaster," Snape replied. McGonagall and Lupin headed for the door.

"Ron, you've been a big help," Dumbledore said. "But you should go back to your dorm as well. Tell everyone who's worried that Harry will be fine. But tell no one, except for perhaps Miss Granger, what you have undoubtedly been listening to us saying." Ron's face turned pink, and he followed McGonagall and Lupin out the door.

"Severus, I think that Poppy's going to need healing potions that are stronger than normal," Dumbledore told Snape. They looked at Madam Pomfrey, who nodded.

"Sleeping Potions, as well," she added with a sigh. "I think we'll need to try something different with Potter, if he's still dreaming." 

The three just watched Harry for a few moments. His face expressed pain, and his head kept turning from side to side. His mouth formed words that nobody could hear at first, but after a moment his voice rose to a mumble.

"Please, stop... It hurts, stop... I'm sorry, I won't do it again, just stop, please..." Suddenly, his head fell to his shoulder and he stopped whispering. His expression was still pained, however, and a single tear fell from his eye.

"Headmaster, there is one more thing I found," Madam Pomfrey said, her voice unusually weak. "I didn't want to say anything or show you with the Weasley boy in here."

She lifted Harry's right arm and pulled his sleeve back. Dumbledore and Snape gasped at the sight. Snape's face paled even more than normal.

"Oh, my dear boy..." Dumbledore leaned over Harry and touched a hand to his face. "My dear boy, Merlin help us..." The old wizard looked at Pomfrey. "Inform me when he wakes up tomorrow. I need to talk to him about everything that has happened over the summer." As an afterthought, he added softly, "We might need some Veritaserum."

"Headmaster, the side effects--" Snape started.

"Simply a last resort, Severus," Dumbledore cut him off. "We need to know the truth about what was done to him, and if need be, we will use a small dose of the potion." He took a breath, looking at Harry again. "Severus, I think we're going to need you throughout this whole ordeal."

~~~

"Pomfrey and Dumbledore said Harry will be fine," Ron told everyone who crowded around him. "He's sleeping fine right now. There's nothing we can do, so everyone go back to bed." The group sighed and headed out of the common room. Ron grabbed Hermione before she could leave.

"I need to talk to you," he said. He pulled her by her hand to the sofa in front of the fire and sat down with her.

"What's wrong, Ron? Don't even tell me it's nothing, because I can see it in your eyes. Something is wrong."

"I was sitting with Harry while Pomfrey was talking with Dumbledore, McGonagall, Lupin, and Snape. She was telling them all of Harry's injuries, everything that was wrong with him."

"And?" Ron took a breath and continued.

"He's extremely malnourished. He has broken and fractured ribs. His collarbone is broken and his wrist is fractured. And she... She found what she thought to be footprints, on his back and his chest." Hermione gasped as tears welled up in her eyes and spilled onto her cheeks. "The seizures... She said it happened either because of him not beging able to breathe, or he might have brain damage because of head injuries... They all think the Muggles did it to him."

"Do you--" Hermione whispered. "Do you think they did?" Ron hesitated, then nodded.

"I've met them, Hermione," he muttered. "They're awful, those Muggles. Terrible people; they couldn't say a single thing good about Harry. And you know how many letters I got from him over the summer. The first two weeks, I got two letters. After that, Hedwig came to stay with us permanently. That has to tell you something!"

"Did-- Did anything else happen?"

"Snape actually acted like he has a heart," Ron replied with a tiny smile. "He regrets treating Harry so bad. Said if he'd known what was going on, he'd have been nicer. Dumbledore told him to take it easy on Harry from now on."

"Well, that's good," Hermione sniffed. She wiped her eyes on her sleeve.

"Go to bed," Ron told his friend. "We can go see him after breakfast."


	3. Chapter 3

****

Saturday, September 4, 1993

"How are you feeling, Harry?" Dumbledore asked as he, Snape, Lupin, and McGonagall entered the hospital wing the next afternoon. Harry tensed visibly when he saw Snape and Lupin.

"I'm...fine, sir," he whispered.

"I see you've gotten gifts from your friends," Lupin commented, trying to make the boy feel at ease. "Have you opened them all?"

"N-no, sir. Madam Pomfrey helped me open a few, but my arm..." Harry was being so quiet that they could barely hear him.

"Harry, my boy, I know that you won't like this," Dumbledore said, softly. "But we need to know what has happened to you. We need to talk to you about what happened over the summer. Can you tell us how you got all of your injuries?"

"Car accident," Harry said, quickly. He picked at an imaginary piece of thread on his blanket.

"That doesn't account for the footprints we found on your back and chest," Pomfrey told him, gently.

"Let's try another one, shall we?" Dumbledore said. "Harry, why is it that every year, you leave Hogwarts healthy, yet you come back after the summer, and you're nearly, as Muggles put it, 'skin and bones'?"

"I get sick in the summer," Harry muttered. "I can't eat when I'm sick."

"I weighed you when you left last year, and I weighed you when you came back," Pomfrey said. "You've lost nearly thirty pounds."

"What of these nightmares you've been having, Harry?" Lupin inquired. "What are they about?" Harry shrugged his shoulders, staring at the floor.

"Mr. Potter," Snape said, suddenly. Harry was startled by his voice, and he looked up at the Potions master with fearful eyes. "If you do not answer our questions truthfully, we will be forced to give you a potion that will make you tell us the truth. The side effects of that potion are not good, Potter, and so I believe it would be a much better choice for you to just answer our questions."

Harry stared at Snape for a moment. The teachers watched as the boy's eyes seemed to fill with tears, and his arms and legs began to tremble. Finally, he hugged his knees to his chest, once again ignoring the pain, and began to rock back and forth slightly. He rested his chin on his knees, looking straight ahead and nod at any of the professors.

"Yes, sir," he whispered.

"You'll tell us the truth?" Harry nodded, taking deep breaths.

"Merlin, what have they done to him?" Lupin whispered as he witnessed the boy's behavior.

"All right, Harry." Dumbledore sat in a chair next to the bed. "Have the Dursleys been abusing you?"

"Y-yes, sir." Harry's voice was shaking.

"All of them?"

"Yes, sir." 

"Is that what your nightmares have been about?"

"Yes, sir."

"Madam Pomfrey ran down a list of injuries that she discovered last night." Dumbledore told Harry what Pomfrey had found. "Has there been anything else?"

"Yes, sir. Uncle Vernon hit me in my head a lot. He liked to do that a lot until I passed out."

"Anything else?" Harry opened his mouth, as if to add more, but then shut it and shook his head.

"No, sir."

"Have they been giving you food, Harry?" McGonagall asked.

"No, ma'am. When I was allowed out of my cupboard, I tried to steal food from the kitchen, but I got caught."

"Your _cupboard_, you said?" Snape asked, surprised. Harry nodded.

"Yes, sir. My cupboard under the stairs. That's where I live. I used to live in Dudley's playroom for a while, but then they moved me back to my cupboard."

"How often were you allowed out of your cupboard, Harry?" Lupin wondered.

"Not a lot, sir," Harry replied. "Every couple of days, maybe." Pomfrey leaned over to whisper something to Dumbledore, who nodded his head.

"Harry, did the Dursleys do anything to you besides hit you?" Dumbledore asked, gently. Harry bit his lip, contemplating, and then slowly nodded his head.

"Yes, sir."

"Can you tell me what else they did to you?" A tear fell from Harry's eye.

"Please don't make me answer that, sir." McGonagall stifled a sob, and Lupin rested a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"All right, child, you don't have to answer that. But I have one more question. Now it is very important, Harry, that you answer this truthfully. All right?" Harry nodded. "Have you been hurting yourself in any way?" Harry glanced down at his right arm, then nodded his head in defeat.

"Yes, sir."

"What have you done to yourself?"

Slowly and painfully, Harry pulled back the sleeve on his right arm and held his wrist up so that the professors could see. McGonagall and Lupin gasped at the sight, as did Snape, though he'd already seen it the night before.

Carved into his arm, encrusted with dried blood, was the word 'HELP.'

~~~

"Professor Lupin!" Ron, Hermione, Dean, Seamus, the Weasley twins, and Ginny Weasley all ran up to the Dark Arts professor in a hallway.

"Professor, how is Harry?" Ginny questioned him. 

"He's doing just fine," Lupin assured them. He was still pale and a little shaky from what he had witnessed earlier in the hospital wing. "He should be returning to his classes next week."

Everyone accepted that answer and left Lupin alone, except for Ron and Hermione. They continued to question the man.

"Sir, Ron told me that you all think Harry's aunt and uncle hurt him," Hermione said in a small voice. Lupin nodded his head, his eyes downcast.

"We asked him some questions today, and he said that yes, the Dursleys have been abusing him, as well as starving him." He sighed. "I'm sorry, Ron, Hermione, but I can't tell you any more. If Harry wishes you to know, then he'll tell you himself, or he'll ask one of us to tell you. Until then, I can't say anything."

"We understand, sir," Hermione assured him. "Thank you." She dragged Ron up the stairs to the hospital wing. "Madam Pomfrey?" The older woman met them at the door. "May we see Harry, please?"

"Yes, you may, but only for a short while," Pomfrey replied. "Mr. Potter needs his rest." Hermione and Ron brought chairs to Harry's bed. Harry lay facing away from them, and he cringed a little when he heard them come in. He turned to see them and relaxed, sighing.

"How are you feeling, mate?" Ron asked.

"Not bad, considering," Harry responded, quietly. "I'm in a lot of pain. Madam Pomfrey said that we have to let the broken bones heal without magic this time."

"Well, hasn't she given you anything for the pain?" Hermione wondered, concerned. Harry nodded.

"It just hasn't started working quite yet. And I have to stay in here through the weekend. In a couple days, I might be able to eat my meals in the Great Hall, though."

"Oh, Harry, the first trip to Hogsmeade is this weekend!" Ron exclaimed. He sighed. "And you can't come."

"We can stay here with you, if you'd like," Hermione offered. Harry shook his head.

"No, go without me," he ordered them. "The teachers are each going to take turns staying with me, and I'm sure I'll have plenty of homework to keep me occupied. Just make sure you buy me something."

"Of course we will! We'll get you the best candy from Honeydukes, and the best jokes from Zonko's," Ron assured him. Hermione changed the subject to a more serious one.

"So now what happens with you?" she wondered. "Now that they know what's happening with the Dursleys?" Harry winced a little.

"I'm not sure," he replied. "I think Dumbledore said that since I have no other family, then guardianship will be turned over to him and the other professors..."

__

And once again, I'm an inconvenience, Harry thought to himself, closing his eyes. _Like the teachers don't have anything better to do than take care of a thirteen year old boy who got what he deserved..._

"Harry, we're going to leave so you can get some rest," Hermione told him. She gave him a gentle hug, and Ron waved, and the two left the room. Harry lay on the bed and closed his eyes, welcoming the darkness of sleep.

~~~

****

Saturday, September 5, 1993

"Minerva," Snape said as he came into the hospital wing late Saturday evening. He found Minerva McGonagall sitting in a chair by Harry's bed, reading The Daily Prophet. Harry lay in the bed, sleeping soundly.

"Is it your shift already, Severus?" McGonagall looked at the clock. "So it is. All right, Mr. Potter has been sleeping for several hours; he'll probably wake up soon. When he does, he needs to take the potion for his pain."

"Minerva, you've seen how the boy's been reacting to me this week," Snape said, a tinge of worry in his voice. "Perhaps we should wake him up now, so he won't be frightened by waking up alone with me in the room."

"That's probably a good idea," McGonagall agreed. She lowered herself onto the bed and gently woke Harry up. "Mr. Potter, wake up." Harry opened his eyes slightly. He glanced sleepily around the room, then let his eyes close again. "Mr. Potter, Professor Snape is going to stay in here with you for a few hours." At that, Harry bolted upright, breathing hard. His eyes were wide, and his body began to tremble a little.

"Professor McGonagall, perhaps it was a bad idea for me to come up here," Snape said, suddenly. "I obviously make the boy uncomfortable. Maybe we should find someone to take my place." He turned towards the door, but McGonagall stopped him.

"There is nobody else," she said. She turned to Harry and spoke in a soft, gentle voice. "Harry, listen to me, all right? Professor Snape is not going to hurt you. Nobody here is going to hurt you. We all want to help you, but you have to help us, as well. I'm going to leave you in Professor Snape's care for maybe three hours. I woke you up to tell you that, so that you wouldn't be startled if you woke up on your own and you were alone with him. Will you be all right after I go?"

"Y-yes, ma'am," Harry whispered. McGonagall smiled.

"Good," she said, and she picked up a goblet from the bedside table. "Drink this up. It's your pain medicine." Harry took the goblet in shaky hands and drank the liquid. "Good boy. Now, you know that you're allowed out of bed, but only for short periods of time. You are not, however, allowed to leave the room, unless you are accompanied by Professor Snape. All right?" Harry nodded.

"Yes, ma'am." McGonagall gently squeezed Harry's hand, and then left. 

Snape sat in the chair, and he and Harry were in silence for a while. Eventually, Harry lay down on the mattress, resting a hand on his chest. Snape noticed a pain look on Harry's face as the boy's chest rose and fell.

"Are you all right, Mr. Potter?" the professor asked. Harry turned to look at him, his eyes glassy and tired.

"My chest hurts..." he said in a small voice. "Madam Pomfrey wrapped some bandages around it, and they're really tight. It hurts to breathe."

"Does the potion help with that pain?" Snape asked. Harry was surprised to hear concern in his voice.

__

Why is he being so nice to me? He's always so mean to me, why isn't he now? 

"Potter?" Harry shook his head.

"No, sir, it doesn't help," he mumbled. 

"I'll see if I can do anything for that," Snape told him. Harry closed his eyes again, sighing. "What do you do while you're in here, besides sleep?"

"I can't do much else, sir. I've been trying to make up the work I've been missing, but I can't move my arms very well to write or use my wand."

"I see that you haven't opened all of your presents," Snape commented. "If you'd like, I could help you open some." Harry eyed him suspiciously.

"Dumbledore told me the professors volunteered to stay with me." The boy took a breath. "Then why are you here, sir?" Snape stared at him, letting a breath out.

"Mr. Potter," Snape sighed. "I feel horrible about how I've treated you ever since you came to Hogwarts. I just always assumed that, like here at the school, you were spoiled and praised at home, and you needed to be brought down every now and then. If I'd known how wrong I was, if I'd known what was really going on... I regret every cruel thing I've ever said to you or done to you, because I see now that I'm part of the cause of that look of fear in your eyes." Harry studied his face, then frowned.

"You pity me," he whispered. Snape shook his head.

"I wouldn't call it pity. I'd refer to it as sympathizing with you." He changed the subject. "Now, how about those gifts from your friends?"

"Just a couple," Harry sighed. He reached to the bedside table and cautiously lifted a couple gift bags over to the bed. Wincing in pain, he lightly rubbed his left arm as Snape removed one of the gifts from a bag.

"What in Merlin's name is this?" the professor asked, confused, as he held up a book that was titled 101 Crosswords to Waste Your Time. The corners of Harry's mouth twitched, but he didn't smile.

"Crosswords are Muggle puzzles," he explained, quietly. Snape opened the book, and Harry pointed at a page. "They give you clues, and you have to figure out what the clues mean. You write the answer in the squares." A piece of paper fell from the book, and Harry picked it up.

****

Dear Harry,

You probably need something to occupy your time, and judging by your arms, you won't be able to do much writing. I asked my mother to send me this book, and I bewitched it so that instead of writing the answers, you just say the number and what way it goes, like 7-Down, and then the answer, and it's written in for you. 

Hope you feel better soon!

Love, Hermione

Harry sighed after he read the note.

__

She's such a good friend; Ron, too... They don't deserve someone like me. I'm just a burden.

"Harry?" The boy glanced at Snape, who looked concerned. "Are you all right?" 

Harry nodded his head, looking back to the note. Then he carefully climbed off of the bed. He almost lost his balance, but quickly steadied himself, and he slowly made his way to the bathroom, closing the door and locking it.

Harry looked around the bathroom, sure that something would be in there. Rummaging through cupboards and drawers, he sighed with relief when he found what he was looking for. He ripped the bandage off his right arm, then took a deep breath and dragged the razor along his wrist, right under the word that was already there. He closed his eyes, taking refuge in the euphoria known as pain while blood seeped out of the wound. Not realizing it, his weak body began to slide to the floor, falling back against the door with a bang. Harry laid his head against the sink, staring at his arm.

"Mr. Potter, are you all right in there?" 

Harry didn't answer, but when he heard the word '_Alohomora_' and the door began to open, he scrambled to the other side of the room. He tried to huddle up behind the cupboard, but he didn't stay there for long. As soon as Snape opened the door, Harry could no longer keep himself sitting up, and he fell over to the floor. His bleeding arm landed at his side, his wrist exposed.

"Dear Merlin, boy..." 

Snape gasped when he saw the state that Harry was in. The boy had begun to shiver slightly, and he couldn't even protest when the older wizard lifted him off the floor. Snape carried him to the bed and lowered him to the mattress. Then Snape, himself, sat on the bed and pressed his hand against Harry's wrist. Within a moment, the wound had closed, though it still scarred.

"Stop..." Harry barely whispered, trying to pull his arm away. "Please, stop..." Tears spilled from his eyes.

"Do you _really_ want me to stop trying to _help_ you, Potter?" Snape asked, slipping back into the tone he normally used with Harry; the tone that reflected anger or frustration.

Harry's eyes widened in fear, and he broke away from the professor. He crawled off the bed and to the corner of the room, bringing his knees to his chest and covering his head with his arms. Rocking back and forth, he cried and mumbled.

"Don't hurt me, please, don't hurt me! I'm sorry, just don't hurt me..."

"Harry!" Snape's tone was more gentle this time. He was shocked to see the aftermath of the abuse the boy had endured. "I'm not going to hurt you, Harry. I'm sorry I scared you. I'm not going to hurt you."

All of a sudden, Harry jumped up and darted around Snape. He pulled the door open and ran down the hallway, with the professor close behind. Harry, although weak, was faster than Snape, which proved to be both a benefit and a disadvantage. The benefit was that Harry quickly got ahead of the professor.

The disadvantage was that he couldn't stop or slow down in time when he saw the staircase in front of him.

Harry grabbed the railing, but it didn't help. He collapsed and proceeded to fall down the stairs. Snape pulled out his wand, to stop Harry from falling anymore, but he was too late. The boy was at the base of the stairs, motionless.

"Harry!" Snape suddenly heard a female voice scream. He and Hermione Granger both reached Harry at the same time.

"Miss Granger, go back to your Tower, and inform any teacher you see on the way that there is a situation with Mr. Potter over here." Hermione hesitated. "Go on. I'll make sure someone comes to let you know how he is in a while." Hermione nodded and began to run back to her Tower.

Soon, Snape was joined by Lupin, who listened to what had happened. 

"We shouldn't move him yet," Lupin sighed. "He may have injured his neck or his back. But we can't just leave him here..."

"Stun him?" Snape suggested. Lupin thought for a moment, then agreed.

"I suppose it's the only way. Go ahead." Snape pulled out his wand and pointed it at Harry.

"_Stupefy_!" 

Harry's body turned rigid, and Lupin lifted him up. The two professors took the boy back to the hospital wing, where he was lowered to the mattress.

"_Ennervate_!" 

Harry's body was now relaxed, and he seemed to be waking up. Lupin knelt down next to the bed, so that he was level with Harry's face, while Snape went to look for some potions in Madam Pomfrey's stock room.

"Harry, how are you feeling?" Lupin asked, softly, as he gently stroked the boy's hair.

"It hurts..." Harry whispered. 

"What hurts, Harry? Does your back or your neck hurt?"

"My head... My arm... My leg..."

"Can you turn your head?" Harry attempted, and he could. "Good, good. Which arm?"

"Left..." 

"Severus," Lupin said after a few moments of examining Harry. "Do you think one of us should find Poppy? I can't tell if there's any difference in his arm, and I think his leg is broken."

As if on cue, Dumbledore came through the door, immediately followed by Madam Pomfrey.

"How did you--"

"Miss Granger came to me and let me know what happened on the stairs," Dumbledore explained.

"She doesn't know all of what happened, Albus," Snape sighed.

"What was the boy doing outside this room in the first place?" Madam Pomfrey asked, accusingly. Snape glared at her.

"I was getting to that," he said. He turned towards Dumbledore. "We were looking through some of Harry's presents when he got up to go to the bathroom. Minerva had told me he was allowed to be up for a little while, as long as he was in the room. So he went in and closed the door, and after a moment, I heard him fall against the door. I asked if he was all right, and when he didn't answer, I opened the door for myself. Harry was trying to hide behind a cupboard, but he was too weak to sit up, and he collapsed. 

"That's when I saw that he'd cut himself again. I picked him up and took him to the bed, where I healed the cut; only the scar is there now. 

"After that, I think I scared him because he crawled over to a corner and curled up, crying and begging for me not to hurt him. I tried to calm him down and tell him that I wasn't going to hurt him. Obviously, it didn't work. He ran around me and left the room, running down the hall. Amazingly, he was faster than me. When he got to the stairs, he couldn't stop, and he fell. Miss Granger got to him at the same time I did, and she went and told Remus what happened. Remus said that we shouldn't pick him up to move him, because he may have hurt his neck or back. So we stunned him, to carry him up here, and then woke him up once he was on the bed."

"That's quite a story, Severus," Dumbledore commented as Pomfrey got to work on Harry.

"You were right, Remus, his leg is broken," Madam Pomfrey confirmed. She sighed. "The poor boy's in enough pain as it is. I'm going to give him a sleeping potion, and more pain potion, before I do anything else."

"Perhaps I should leave, before I cause any more problems," Snape said, softly.

"Come to my office, Severus," Dumbledore ordered. "Poppy and Remus will be just fine with Harry." The Headmaster and the Potions master headed up to Dumbledore's office and entered, after giving the password.

"Tea, Severus?" Snape accepted the cup of tea with shaky hands. "Are you all right, my boy?"

"Albus, if you'd seen what he looked like, huddled in that corner..." Snape sighed, shaking his head. 

"I don't need to witness it with Harry, Severus," Albus commented, gently. "I've already seen it from another student of mine."

"I don't know if I'll be able to help him through this," Severus whispered. "What if, the next time, he succeeds in... what he's trying to do?"

"You can help him, Severus, I know you can," Albus assured him. "You're the only one who can." The younger wizard glanced at the older.

"Was I as bad as he is now?"

"Yes, child, you were. After it happened, you would only let two people come near you: myself and Lily. There were times when we had to strap you to the bed, so that you couldn't hurt yourself." Dumbledore gave Snape a small smile. "I thought you were going to be the death of me. Nearly gave me a heart attack several times."

"I'm sorry, Albus," Snape said, sincerely. Dumbledore waved him off.

"I don't need an apology, boy. It's over now, and that's all I need."

"And now it's started again, with Harry." Dumbledore sighed, tiredly.

"Yes, it has."


	4. Chapter 4

****

Tuesday, September 14, 1993

Nine days later, Harry hobbled into Potions class, aided by Hermione, Ron, and a pair of crutches. Madam Pomfrey had opted to heal Harry's injuries as best she could with magic, so that he'd be able to use the crutches and not miss any more classes. The only bones that had to heal naturally were his leg and his ribs.

As Harry came into the room, the Gryffindors welcomed him back quietly, the majority of the Slytherins, however, started laughing and making snide remarks.

"Hey, Potter!" Pansy Parkinson called out. "What kind of wizard can survive You-Know-Who, but can't even stop his own _Muggle_ relatives from beating him?"

Harry's eyes burned with tears, but he didn't reply. He just made his way to his seat, and before any Gryffindors could defend him, Snape swept in, robes flowing around him.

"One hundred points from Slytherin, and a week of detention for you, Miss Parkinson, as that was entirely unacceptable. Fifty points to Gryffindor, for Mr. Potter's ability to _not_ make a comeback that was most certainly deserved by Miss Parkinson." Most of the class stared at him, their mouths dropped open. He waved his wand at the blackboard, and notes appeared. "Copy down your ingredients, and stop looking so surprised. Can anyone tell me what kind of potion we're making with these ingredients?" Hermione raised her hand, and Snape called on her.

"We're making a healing potion, sir."

"Five points to Gryffindor. Yes, we're making a healing potion, for Madam Pomfrey."

"Potter probably used up all she had," a Slytherin snickered.

"Fifteen points from Slytherin. Everyone, get your ingredients from my desk; Miss Granger, get Mr. Potter's for him. Start making your potions."

As the students made their potions, Snape walked around and inspected them. He stopped next to Harry and leaned over slightly.

"You need a little more wormwood." Harry put more wormwood into his cauldron and stirred it, pausing to rest a hand on his chest and take a breath.

"How are you feeling?" Snape wondered. Harry shrugged his shoulders.

"Chest still hurts," he mumbled. He glanced up at Snape with tears in his eyes. "How did they find out? I thought only the professors, Hermione, and Ron knew."

"I don't know, but I'll try to find out. Don't worry about it." He changed the subject. "Can you stay after class for a few moments? I'd like to discuss your make-up assignments with you." At the look on Harry's face, Snape added, "Miss Granger or Mr. Weasley may also stay, if you wish, and help you get to your next class."

"Okay," Harry agreed, glancing at his friends. Snape went back to his desk, and Ron volunteered to stay with Harry.

"And I'll tell Professor Flitwick you'll be late," Hermione offered. Harry nodded his thanks.

"I'm surprised Malfoy hasn't said anything to you, Harry," Ron commented.

The three glanced at Draco Malfoy, who was silently stirring his potion. His face didn't show the usual look of evil; in fact, he looked slightly distressed and deep in thought.

"That _is_ rather odd," Hermione agreed.

"Professor?" Draco called quietly for Snape when the teacher came towards the back of the room again. Snape came to Draco's desk. "Can I go to the hospital wing?"

"Go ahead," Snape agreed. "Do you need someone to go with you?" Draco shook his head and made his way for the door.

"Harry, are you all right?" Hermione asked, noticing that Harry was wincing in pain, clenching his fists and taking in short, rapid breaths. He nodded, slightly.

"I can't...take deep breaths," he muttered. "When I do, this is what happens..." He sighed, shaking his head as the pain only slightly subsided. "I can't take this anymore..." 

Leaning over, he picked up his crutches from the floor and used them to lift himself up. Then he slowly made his way to Professor Snape.

"Professor, can I go see Madam Pomfrey?" 

"Yes, you may. Do you need one of your friends to go with you?" Harry shook his head.

"My potion's done, by the way. I'll try to be back before class is over."

"You still have over an hour. Take your time." Harry nodded his thanks, then left the room.

He was pretty speedy on crutches, Harry realized, when he soon caught up with Draco, who was slowly walking up the stairs towards the hospital wing.

"You all right?" Harry asked, after much hesitation. Draco, startled, snapped his head up to look at him.

"Why do you care?" he replied, turning his head back to watch where he was going.

"Just wondering," Harry sighed, quietly. "We were surprised when you didn't make any comments, like you usually do when something happens to me." Draco flinched.

"I just figured it's too cruel to make jokes about someone's family beating on them," he muttered. He glanced at Harry. "They really did, didn't they?" Harry's eyes betrayed him and began to tear up, so he watched the floor as they came closer to the hospital wing.

"Yeah. They did... Do you know how everyone found out?" Draco shook his head.

"Someone started a rumor yesterday; I never thought it would actually be true." Harry changed the subject.

"You going to be up here long?" he asked. Draco shrugged his shoulders.

"I just needed a break," he mumbled. "And I need Pomfrey to take a look at something, so who knows how long I'll be? Why do you ask? What are you coming up for?"

"Bandages need changed," Harry sighed. "Again. The one on my wrist keeps getting all bloodied up, but the ones around my chest... She puts them on too tight, and it's really painful to breathe. So I have to have them changed a couple of times every day." 

By then, they were at the door. Draco opened it for Harry, then followed him inside. Madam Pomfrey was speaking with Professor Lupin, but they stopped talking when they saw the boys.

"What brings you two here?" Pomfrey asked, surprised. "And together, no less?"

"Met up in the hallway," Draco replied, tiredly. "My arm's been feeling strange; I was hoping you could tell me what's wrong with it."

"Come, sit, and let me have a look," Pomfrey said, leading Draco to a bed. "Harry, do you need your bandages changed?" 

"Yes, ma'am," Harry responded, quietly.

"Remus, would you mind? You've done it before." Pomfrey proceeded to check over Draco's arm.

"Both of them, Harry?" Lupin asked. Harry nodded and followed Lupin to the bed next to Draco's. Lupin saw Harry looking over at Draco, who just stared back. "Would you like me to draw the curtain?"

"No, sir, it's fine." Harry removed his robes and his shirt, revealing white bandages wrapped around his torso, as well as his right wrist. "Can you change the ones around my chest first? They're too tight."

"Harry, you know they have to be tight," Lupin told him, carefully removing the wrappings. "Otherwise, they won't heal right."

"I can't breathe when they're on, it hurts," Harry sighed. "Why are you in here, anyway?"

"I don't have any classes right now, so I've been helping Madam Pomfrey out," Lupin replied. He began to wrap new bandages. "If it hurts too badly, tell me, all right?" He finished the bandages on Harry's chest with no problem, then moved on to his arm.

"Shouldn't it have stopped bleeding by now?" Harry wondered as Lupin removed the blood-soaked bandage and threw it away.

"Not necessarily," Lupin replied, softly. He always hated seeing that wrist. "All the movement in your arm could be aggravating the wound." He looked at Harry's face and saw that his eyes were closed. "Harry, keep your eyes open. Come on, you do this every time we fix this one. You know you have to keep your eyes open."

"Can I lay down? I'm dizzy..." Lupin helped Harry lay back on a pillow, then proceeded to clean his wrist and bandage it.

"Keep your eyes open," Lupin repeated. He tried to talk to Harry, to keep him awake. "How was your first class back, Harry?"

"They made fun of me," Harry sighed. "The Slytherins... Not all of them, but a lot of them." He glanced over at Draco, then closed his eyes again. "Can I go back to class now? I have to talk to Professor Snape...about my homework and stuff..."

"Do you really think you'll be able to make it back to class when you can't even keep your eyes open?" Madam Pomfrey asked as she wrapped a bandage around Draco's arm. "Both of you should stay in here for a while. Harry, if you're feeling better in a little while, then you can go back. Draco, you look like you haven't slept in weeks, so you need to stay and get some sleep."

"I'd be fine if I could breathe," Harry murmured, weakly. "Oh, I hate being in here..."

"I don't think either of you will have a problem falling asleep, so Professor Lupin and I will just leave you alone." The two left the room, while Draco and Harry just lay in their beds.

"What did she say about your arm?" Harry wondered.

"Fractured," Draco responded, quietly. He took a breath. "Pot--_Harry_--do you think me and you could talk after classes today? Or after dinner? Whatever."

"What about?" Harry asked, sleepily.

"I just...need to talk, and somehow it seems like you're the only one who can help, or at least understand."

"Yeah, sure... After classes, if we're awake..." Harry yawned and smiled slightly. "You know, Mal--_Draco_--you're not as bad as I thought you were."

"It was an act," Draco whispered, his eyes filling with tears. He wasn't sure if Harry even heard him, as they both drifted off to sleep.

~~~

When Harry awoke, hours later, he found a piece of paper on his chest.

****

Harry,

3:30, Quidditch field

Please don't bring anyone else, I don't want anyone else to know what I'm telling you yet.

D.M.

Harry looked around for Madam Pomfrey, but found that he was alone in the room.

"Madam Pomfrey?" She quickly came into the room after hearing him. "What time is it?"

"It's almost three-thirty," Pomfrey replied. Harry's eyes widened.

"I missed all my classes again," he sighed. "I'm never going to catch up..." He reached for his crutches and got off the bed.

"Make sure you get something to eat," Pomfrey instructed him. "You slept through lunch." Harry nodded and left, heading straight outside for the Quidditch field.

Once there, Harry spotted Draco. He was alone in the stands, seeming to be just staring at nothing as Harry slowly made his way up to him. Draco jumped a little when Harry suddenly appeared next to him. He looked at Harry's leg and apologized.

"I probably should have said to meet me somewhere else," Draco said. "The stairs were probably hard on your leg."

"Don't worry about it," Harry replied. "What's up? And why are you acting so different? It's like you're a different person."

"No... The person I've been for the past two years was acting. This is who I really am..." Draco's tone was sad and full of regret.

"I don't understand," Harry said, confused.

"You know my dad's a Death Eater, right?" Harry nodded. "Well, he wants to turn his only son into a perfect little Death Eater as well. That means, I have to hate you. I really don't hate you, Harry. The past two years, I've been threatened and forced to hate you by my father. I've been threatened into doing things to 'please the Dark Lord' my whole life. But then I found out what your 'family' was doing to you, and I decided that I had to tell someone. Harry, my parents abuse me, too. I should have told someone a long time ago, but--"

"But you thought it'd get better. Then it just kept getting worse and worse, until something really bad happened, and you can't take it anymore." Draco stared at Harry, his mouth hanging open.

"Exactly," he whispered. He shook his head. "Can you tell me what happened when you told Dumbledore and all the other teachers?"

"Well, I didn't exactly tell them," Harry explained. "That day I fell asleep in Potions, on the first day? Snape asked me all kinds of questions after class, but I wouldn't answer them. So he went to Dumbledore and told him he suspected something.

"The next night, I had a nightmare. I woke up and couldn't breathe, and I was having seizures. Ron says I nearly gave everyone in Gryffindor a heart attack... Someone went to find a teacher, and Lupin took me up to the hospital wing. Pomfrey found out all of my injuries, and she, Dumbledore, McGonagall, Lupin, and Snape all thought the Dursleys were abusing me." He left out the part about his wrist and continued.

"The next day, they all came back to ask me questions, and at first, I lied. Said I was in a car wreck, and that's how I got my injuries. Pomfrey shot that one down, commenting on the footprints on my chest and back. But then Snape said if I didn't tell the truth, they'd give me Veritaserum. So I said I'd answer their questions truthfully."

"What kinds of questions did they ask?"

"They asked if the Dursleys were abusing me, and if that's what my nightmares were about. They told me what Pomfrey found from my injuries and asked if there was anything else that she missed. They asked if my aunt and uncle gave me food." Harry took a breath, and a couple tears fell from his eyes.

"They asked me if they did anything besides hit me.... And they asked me if I've been hurting myself at all."

"And you have been," Draco said, softly. Harry nodded slightly.

"Yes. I have been." Draco rested his arms on his knees, then dropped his head to his arms.

"I have been, too," he admitted.

"You and the teachers are the only ones who know that part," Harry said, quietly. "Please, don't tell anyone."

"I won't," Draco promised. He changed the subject. "I assume you're not going back to live with your aunt and uncle." Harry shook his head.

"Dumbledore and the teachers are my guardians now." He sighed, covering his face with his hands. "Merlin, I feel like such an inconvenience... As if these people don't already have enough to deal with, I come along and stir everything up even more."

"Have you actually tried to...you know...just finish it?" Harry shrugged his shoulders.

"I don't really think about it," he replied. "When I cut... All I really think about it getting rid of the mental pain by causing physical pain. I know I can handle physical pain. But lately... I wonder if everyone would be better off without me." He looked at Draco. "Have you?" Draco nodded.

"The night I decided I couldn't handle it... That was the night I got it the worst," he whispered. "I slit my wrists... Freaked out at the last minute, tried to stop the blood, but I ended up passing out. I woke up; my mother had healed my wrists, probably so she and my father could mess with me some more."

"What did they do to send you over the edge?" Harry wondered. Draco shook his head, wiping his eyes.

"I can't... I can't talk about that yet..." He looked back at Harry. "What did they do to you to send you over?"

"Remember when I said the teachers asked if the Dursleys did anything besides hit me?" Draco nodded. "That's what they did to me..."

Harry stared across the field, trying to block out memories. He was unsuccessful, and different images and voices flew through his mind.

__

"Strip, boy! Take off your clothes!"

"When I tell you to do something, you do it!"

"What the Hell do you think you're doing?"

"When I'm through with you, you'll wish you'd never been born, you freak!"

"Harry! Harry, say something, you're scaring me!"

Harry fell over on his side, on the bench, as his body began to tremble. Draco carefully helped Harry to turn onto his back.

"Merlin, say something, Harry!"

"I-I can't...breathe..." Harry barely rasped out. 

Draco looked around to see if any teachers were outside. Almost immediately, he spotted the dark form of Snape.

"Professor Snape!" Draco shouted. "Professor, help!" 

Hearing the tone of Draco's voice, Snape immediately began to run towards the stands. Draco turned back to look at Harry, whose chest was quickly rising and falling. The boy's body continued to shake, so Draco put a hand on either side of him, so that he wouldn't fall from the bench.

"What happened?" Snape asked, taking a place next to Draco.

"I-I don't know! We were talking, and he just fell over and started shaking!"

"Harry?" Snape gently took the boy in his lap, cradling him in his arms. "Harry, can you take deep breaths?"

"Hurts... Make it...stop... C-can't breathe..."

"Draco, run ahead of me and tell Madam Pomfrey we're coming," Snape instructed. 

Draco nodded and ran down the steps, and Snape made sure to support Harry as he carried him. As soon as they were on solid ground, Snape began to run towards the school. By the time they reached the hospital wing, Pomfrey was ready for them, and Harry had passed out. Snape lowered Harry to the bed, then stood back with Draco while Pomfrey got to work.

"Are you all right, Draco?" Snape asked the pale boy, gently. He didn't reply. "Perhaps you should go to your room and calm down a little; try to get some rest." Draco shook his head, staring at Harry, who was now lying motionless on the bed.

"I-I made him talk about it," Draco whispered. "He was remembering..." Snape led Draco to another bed, away from Harry, and drew the curtain. The two sat down, and Snape rested a hand on Draco's back.

"What were you talking to him about? And why were you talking to him? I thought you hated each other." 

"I-I wanted to know--" Draco hesitated and didn't continue.

"What did you want to know?" Draco shook his head, dropping it into his hands.

"I can't tell you..." Snape stood up and made Draco do so as well.

"Come with me."

"Where are we going?" Draco asked as the two left the hospital wing.

"You have two choices," Snape replied. "I know that something is going on, and it seems like that something is important. So your first choice is that you can talk to me and tell me what's wrong. Your second choice is that you can talk to Headmaster Dumbledore and tell him what's wrong."

"No, Professor, I can't tell anyone else yet!" Draco protested, his eyes wide. Before either of them could say anything else, McGonagall came up to them.

"Mr. Malfoy, we just got a message from your father," she told him. "You're needed at home tonight. You can use the fireplace in Headmaster Dumbledore's office."


	5. Chapter 5

__

"You aren't planning on telling anyone, are you?" The man lifted the blond boy from the floor by his neck, then pulled out a wand.

"No, Father! I'm not going to tell anyone!" The boy was then thrown back to the floor.

"You'd better not," the man said. "Because if you do, your punishment will be worse than ever before. And you don't want that, do you?"

"N-no, sir..." The man glared at the boy, pointing his wand at him.

"You know what I want you to do now." The boy nodded and weakly sat up against the wall, removing his clothes, as did the older man.

When the man was finished with the boy, he put his clothes back on and threw the boy at the wall. The boy fell to the floor, and the man once again pointed his wand.

"Crucio_," he said with an evil smirk on his face._

~~~

Harry awoke with a start after the dream. Looking around the hospital wing, he saw that he was alone in the dark. He reached for his crutches and quickly left the room, heading for Dumbledore's office.

"Oh, Merlin, I don't know the password," Harry whispered. At that exact moment, the portrait hole opened, and Professor Snape stepped out. He stopped short when he saw Harry.

"What are you doing out of the hospital wing?"

"I-I need to talk to you or Dumbledore or someone," Harry said, quietly. "Something happened, something bad..."

"Come in, Harry." Snape held the door open for Harry, then followed him in. "Headmaster, Mr. Potter needs to speak with you."

"Of course, Harry, is everything all right?" Dumbledore showed Harry to the sofa, where the boy could sit with his leg up.

"No, sir," Harry murmured. He shivered with cold, as well as fright. Dumbledore looked at Snape.

"Professor, please get the boy a cup of tea and a blanket," the older wizard requested. As Snape walked away, Dumbledore looked at Harry. "You look like you've had a nasty shock. What's the matter, child?"

"I-I just woke up," Harry began. "I'd had a dream... A man, a wizard, was...throwing his son against a wall, and the floor..." He continued to explain to Dumbledore, and Snape, what had happened in his dream, ending with, "The man raped the boy, then pointed his wand at him and said '_Crucio_.'" Dumbledore and Snape gasped. "What does that mean, sir?"

"It's the Cruciatus Curse, Harry," Snape explained. "It's one of three Unforgivable Curses, because it causes an excruciating amount of pain." The professor's eyes glazed over a little, as though he were remembering.

"Harry, do you know who the boy in your dream was?" Dumbledore asked, gently. Harry nodded his head, wrapping his blanket tighter around himself.

"It was--" he hesitated. _I'm sorry..._ he thought to himself. "It was Draco Malfoy."

"Are you absolutely sure?" Dumbledore asked. 

"Yes, sir," Harry whispered. "I-I'm not supposed to tell you this, sir, but Draco and I were talking yesterday, and he said... He said his parents abuse him." He told the older wizards about the conversation from the day before.

"I tried to talk to him myself yesterday," Snape added once Harry was finished. "I could tell that something was wrong, because he and Harry have never really liked each other, and Draco seemed rather worried after Harry's attack. Draco said he couldn't tell anyone else what was going on. That's when we got the message that he was needed at home for the night."

"What are you going to do, sir?" Harry asked Dumbledore, who was deep in thought.

"I think..." the old man started. "I think that tomorrow, when I see young Mr. Malfoy, I will speak to him about this. Then I will decide what to do after that." He looked at Snape. "Professor, could you please escort Mr. Potter back to the hospital wing? It seems that he is becoming tired."

"Of course, Headmaster," Snape agreed, looking at the young boy who was close to falling asleep on the sofa.

"Thank you for telling me all of this, Harry," Dumbledore said, softly, as he rested a hand on Harry's. 

"I wasn't supposed to tell," Harry mumbled, sleepily. "He's going to be angry with me..."

"Don't worry, my child, in the end, he'll be grateful." 

~~~

****

Wednesday, September 15, 1993

The next morning, Draco wasn't back at the school by the time Potions class began. Snape noticed that, as the students began to make their potions, Harry kept glancing from Draco's seat to the door.

"Mr. Potter," Snape called from the front of the room. "Come up here, please." Harry got his crutches and made his way up to Snape's desk. "I know that you're worried. But there really is nothing you can do until he gets here. So I suggest you try to concentrate on your potion."

"I'm trying, sir," Harry insisted, quietly. "I really am." He lowered his eyes. "He should have been back by now. I think something's _really_ wrong, Professor."

"I'm not going to lie to you, Harry," Snape sighed, rubbing a hand over his face. "I think something is really wrong, as well. But as I said before, we can't do anything until he gets here. So we shouldn't waste our time worrying about it when we have other things that require our concentration." He changed the subject. "How much of your make-up work do you have finished?" 

"Almost all of it," Harry replied. "I'm still having some trouble using my right arm, and it aches when I write too much at one time."

"Do you think you'll have it finished by the end of this week?" Harry nodded.

"Professor," Lupin said, appearing at the door to the room. He seemed a little distressed as he came over to Snape's desk. "He's back. He came in through Albus's fireplace, and they took him straight to the hospital wing."

"All right, I'll be up there in a few minutes. I need to find someone to watch my class." Snape went across the hall to another classroom and found Professor Sinistra. "Professor, I need you to keep an eye on my class for a while."

"Of course," Sinistra agreed. Snape went back to his classroom.

"Class, I have to leave for a while. I probably won't be back before your class is over. Professor Sinistra is going to watch you, so behave yourselves. If you don't, you _will_ regret it." He looked at Harry, who was still at Snape's desk, with Lupin. "Harry, come with us."

"Severus," Lupin said under his breath as the three headed up to the hospital wing. "I don't think it's a good idea for Harry to see this."

"Remus, if I'm not mistaken, then it will be better for Harry to be there with Draco. Trust me on this one."

"All right, well..." Lupin sighed. "Madam Pomfrey is still cleaning him up, and she needs to fully examine him. After that, Harry can see him, but until then, he has to stay away."

"Fair enough," Snape agreed. 

~~~

It was a short while before Harry was able to see Draco, and when he finally was allowed, he was shocked by the sight. Bruises covered nearly all visible parts of the boy's body, and there were also several large cuts on his arms, legs, and face. Bandages were wrapped around his head and chest, as well as his arms. Harry sat in the chair next to the bed and looked at Draco, who seemed to be asleep. As soon as Harry pulled the chair closer, however, the blond opened his eyes.

"I'm awake," he said, sleepily. He saw the look on Harry's face and smiled weakly. "It looks worse than it really is." Harry sighed, placing his head in his hands.

"Draco, I'm sorry, but I had to tell them," he whispered. "I had a dream last night, and I saw¼_him_¼doing all kinds of things to you, and I¼I had to tell them. I'm sorry."

"What did you see?" Draco asked, quietly.

"I saw him throwing you against the floor and the wall¼ And I saw him raping you¼ And the Cruciatus Curse." Draco's face paled even more with every word.

"That's-That's what he did last night, Harry," he choked out through tears. "How could you see something like that in your dream?" Harry shrugged his shoulders, and the two were silent for a few moments. Finally, Draco said, "Thank you."

"For what? I didn't do anything¼"

"Thank you for telling. Merlin knows I wouldn't have been able to do it myself." He changed the subject. "The professors are taking me out of my parents' custody, just like they did with you. They're going to be my guardians, too. Now I know what you mean about feeling like an inconvenience."

"Their being my guardians, that doesn't really change anything for me," Harry realized, softly. "I never went home, anyway, except for during the summer."

"I only went home for the summer and Christmas holidays," Draco agreed. "But then there were times like last night, when I was 'needed at home¼' I wonder what's going to happen for us during the summer." At that moment, Snape appeared from behind the curtain.

"I need to speak with you two for a moment," he said, pulling up a chair. "Headmaster Dumbledore thinks that it is necessary for the two of you to meet with me, maybe once a week; it's kind of like a Muggle counseling session."

"Why you, sir?" Harry asked, curiously.

"Let's just say that I know what you're going through," Snape replied, quietly. "But if you're not comfortable talking to me, then I'm sure other arrangements can be made." He changed the subject. "Draco, Madam Pomfrey said that, depending on how you're feeling, you may be released tomorrow afternoon, at the earliest."

"I feel fine," Draco sighed. "As I told Harry, it looks a lot worse than it really is."

"You actually _want_ to go back to classes?" Harry asked, incredulously.

"Just don't want to miss too much."

"Well, as long as you aren't out for two weeks, you'll be fine," Harry assured him, giving him a small smile.

"Speaking of going back to classes, Harry, you need to be getting back, yourself." Snape handed Harry his crutches.

"Need anything else before I go?" Harry asked Draco, who thought for a moment.

"Don't tell anyone yet, all right?" he requested, quietly, as he looked up at Harry. "I don't want anyone to know until after I'm officially out of their custody."

"I won't," Harry promised. "You take care, all right? I'll try to come by later on." Draco nodded, and Harry left.


	6. Chapter 6

****

Friday, September 17, 1993

"Harry, d'you reckon you'll be able to play Quidditch this season?" George Weasley asked at lunch three days later. "What, with your leg and all."

"I hope so," Harry replied. "Madam Pomfrey did something so that it's supposed to heal, like, three times faster than it would normally. The cast should be coming off within a couple of weeks."

"We're having practice tonight, if you want to come and watch," Fred Weasley told him. "Let us know how we're doing and such. Seven o'clock."

"I don't know," Harry responded. "I have to go to a counseling session with Snape around seven, and I don't know how long I'll be. When I'm done, if you're still out there, then I'll come out."

"_Counseling_ with _Snape_?!" Dean repeated in disgust. "I'll pray for you, Harry."

"Oh, come on, he's not all that bad, really," Harry insisted. 

He glanced over to the Slytherin table and caught Draco's eye. The blond jerked his head towards the door to the Great Hall, then got up. Harry nodded.

"I have to go," he told his friends. "I'll talk to you all later." He took his crutches and left, meeting up with Draco by the staircase. "You all right?"

"I'm not sure," Draco replied, folding his arms over his chest. "You don't think Snape's going to make us talk if we don't want to, do you? I haven't told anyone anything, really, except for you."

"I don't think he'll _force_ us to talk," Harry said. "He'll probably give us 'good reasons' as to why we _should_ talk, but I don't think he'll force us. Where's the session at, again?"

"It's actually in Snape's wing, for more privacy, I guess. It's near Slytherin Tower. Meet me here around six-forty-five, and I'll show you where. Come on, let's go to Care of Magical Creatures."

"We'll be early..." Harry commented as they made their way towards Hagrid's hut outside. "The past few days, we've been doing book work, but I think we're going to deal with some kind of creature today. Hagrid's probably going to take it easy on you and me."

"I hope so," Draco agreed. "I just got _out_ of the hospital wing; I don't need any of those creatures putting me _back_ in there." He went back to the subject of the counseling session. "If you start talking about what happened to you...you'll start remembering. Will you have another attack?"

"I hope not." Harry shuddered at the thought. "If it looks like I'm not paying attention, or I'm concentrating too hard on something, then just, like, shake me out of it or something." Draco nodded. "So... Does your father know yet?" The blond boy shook his head. "You're going to be in a lot of danger when he finds out, aren't you?"

"Yes," Draco whispered. He looked at Harry. "I'm scared, you know? My father's powerful, and this will just send him over... I heard Dumbledore saying they're going to put even more protection on Hogwarts, for the both of us." By that time, they'd reached Hagrid's hut.

"'Arry, 'ow are yeh?" Hagrid came to greet them. "Draco, good ter see yeh back."

"Hi, Hagrid," Draco said.

"'Ow are the two o' yeh doin'?" Hagrid wondered. "An' why are yeh here so early?"

"I'm doing all right," Harry replied.

"As good as can be expected," Draco added. "And we just left lunch early."

"What are we doing today, Hagrid?" Harry inquired.

"Learnin' abou' faeries today," Hagrid responded. "Got a couple o' them over here, if yeh want ter see." He led the boys over to a case holding five beautiful faeries. "Lovely creatures, faeries, but dead sneaky. Never know what one of 'em's up ter. These ones are well-behaved, though. Won't up an' fly off." He turned to look at the boys, who were watching the playful faeries in awe. 

"Harry, d'ya need someplace ter sit?" Harry nodded.

"Don't think I'll be able to stand for an hour," he said. Hagrid brought a chair over for Harry to sit in, as well as a bale of hay to put his leg up.

"Draco, yeh need anythin'?"

"Can I have a chair, too? Sometimes I get dizzy when I stand up too long."

"O' course," Hagrid agreed, bringing out another chair. "There yeh go."

"Thanks, Hagrid," Draco said, sitting down as Hermione and Ron came over from the castle. The rest of the class was heading for the hut as well. Seeing the Slytherins coming, Draco moved his chair away from Harry's.

"Sorry," Draco said under his breath. "If some of them see me and you being friends, they'll tell my father." Harry nodded his understanding.

"Hi, Hagrid," Hermione said. "Hi, Harry. Hi, Mal--Draco." 

Draco had apologized to Ron and Hermione the day before, and Hermione was still trying to get used to calling him by his first name. He acknowledged her greeting with a nod, as the Slytherins were coming closer.

"Oh, Draco, how are you feeling?" Pansy ran over to Draco and hugged him, causing him to roll his eyes at Harry.

"Pansy, get off, that hurts," he snapped. The corners of Harry's mouth twitched slightly, and Hermione and Ron covered their mouths to hide their smiles. Pansy pouted and moved away from Draco, heading back for her friends.

"All righ', everyone!" Hagrid announced. "Today we're learnin' abou' the beautiful creature known as the faerie. I got five faeries here today. These ones are good, well-behaved faeries, but not all faeries are like tha'. Unpredictable, they are. I'm goin' ter let 'em out, an' they'll each pick one o' yeh to spend time with. They can sense who they like and who they don' like. They're dead playful, so if yeh don' want ter play, they won' come ter yeh."

At that moment, Hagrid opened the case holding the faeries, and they flew out. Two immediately flew over to Draco and Harry. Draco's was red, and Harry's was blue. They were both about six inches tall. Harry's landed on his cast, then proceeded to crawl up his leg, until she got to his stomach. There she stood, staring up at him with a smile on her face. Harry smiled back.

"Not many folks can talk ter' faeries," Hagrid was saying. "Yeh can try, though. They migh' talk back, an' they migh' not. Depends on if they really like yeh."

"Hello," Harry said softly to his faerie. She giggled and waved. "You sure are pretty." Suddenly she flew up and kissed the tip of Harry's nose. "Aw, thank you. Do you have a name?" She nodded and flew over to Harry's ear, whispering. "Your name's Lilly? That was my mother's name..." Lilly the faerie hovered in the air in front of Harry's face for a moment, then went to rest on his stomach again. "You don't want to play, then?" Lilly yawned and shook her head. "Oh, you're tired." She nodded and curled up on Harry's stomach.

"I think she likes you, Harry," Ron teased. Harry smiled, sadly.

__

At least somebody really does...

~~~

Later that evening, after supper, Draco and Harry went to Snape's quarters. The professor had given them the password, so that they were able to get in. Snape met them at the door and showed them through to a room with a sofa and some chairs. All in all, Snape's living quarters were very dark and dreary. It's what one would expect from him.

"How are you both feeling?" Snape asked.

"All right, I guess," Harry replied from the couch, where he'd been allowed to stretch out and put his leg up. "Sore."

"Same," Draco said from the chair across from Snape's.

"How were your classes?"

"Normal." Harry shrugged his shoulders. "We got to play with faeries in Care of Magical Creatures. There were only five of them, and two of them came straight to us when they were let out."

"Harry's fell asleep on his stomach," Draco snickered. Snape smiled slightly.

"She talked to me, too," Harry added. "I asked her what her name was, and she told me it was Lilly. Same as my mother's..." He sighed.

"All right, well..." Snape thought for a moment. "I've never done anything like this before. I've been trying to think of ways to make all this talking easier for the two of you, but I remembered, it's not easy at all. Talking about abuse and everything, it's hard." Harry and Draco nodded their agreement. "So I decided, I'm going to explain to you why Dumbledore thought I was the best--only--choice to talk to you. Then, if you wish, you can talk. Also, you can ask me any questions you want to in these sessions." Neither boy protested, so Snape began his story.

"Throughout my childhood, I was severely abused by my father. Physically, mentally, and yes, sexually. I don't know why he did it, but the fact remains that he did it. Everything became worse when I came to Hogwarts. I come from a long line of Slytherins, so naturally, my father had to make sure I would be in Slytherin as well. He threatened to kill me if I wasn't. When the time came for my sorting, I begged the Sorting Hat to put me in Slytherin, and it worked. I was so relieved. He wasn't going to kill me.

"In my third year, I became friends with your mother, Harry. By that time, I was staying at Hogwarts as much as I could. During the summer, of course, I had to go home, and that was when my father would give me the worst beatings I'd ever seen. The bruises lasted well into the school year, and until third-year, I was able to hide them. It wasn't difficult; not many people paid attention to me. Lily, however, noticed everything. I used to joke that she was omniscient, knowing everything that happened.

"Lily saw a lot of my bruises, which I'd so carefully attempted to hide. She noticed that I'd become withdrawn from people, and that I threw myself into my schoolwork, earning some of the highest marks in our class. 

"Then she was the one who found me the first time I tried to kill myself. She took me to the hospital wing, making up some excuse for why I had rather large cuts on my wrists. Then she went to Dumbledore. They both tried talking to me, but half the time, I didn't listen. The day after I got out of the hospital wing, I tried to jump from the Astronomy Tower. It didn't work, so don't get any ideas. Dumbledore has alarms set for that reason.

"So it kept going on like that. I'd go to the hospital wing, I'd get out and try a different way. I'd go back in. Lily or Dumbledore would talk to me. I'd get out and try again. There were times when I'd had to be restrained, strapped to a bed so that I wouldn't harm myself. There were times when I wouldn't let anyone other than Dumbledore or Lily touch me. That went on until the summer after my fifth year. That's when Dumbledore got me out of my father's custody and took me in as his own child. Things began to turn around then, though I won't lie to you. There have been many times since then that I've felt the urge to end myself. Each time, I go upstairs and talk to Dumbledore. It really helps."

"Did you stay here at Hogwarts during the summer holidays, Professor, after Dumbledore took you in?" Draco wondered, quietly.

"I'll tell you what," Snape said. "While we're in here, call me Severus. But _only_ in here. And yes, I spent a large portion of my summers here at Hogwarts. Sometimes I went to visit Lily, or Remus Lupin. Sometimes I just went on vacations. But mostly, I stayed here. You two will probably end up staying here through the summers as well; it's not safe otherwise... Is it all right if I ask you some questions now?" The boys agreed. "I told you that I don't know why my father abused me. What do you think was the reason for your abuse?"

"They knew they could control me," Draco replied, simply. "But they went too far." Harry didn't respond right away, and that made Draco wonder if he was thinking about memories again. "Harry? You all right?"

"I deserved it," Harry said in a small voice as a tear ran down his cheek. "I didn't follow their rules. I did things that I wasn't supposed to. I _didn't_ do things I _was_ supposed to do. So I had to be punished for it..."

"Nobody deserves that kind of treatment, Harry," Snape sighed, shaking his head. "Least of all, a child." He went on to another question. "When was the last time either of you hurt yourselves?"

"Yesterday," Draco mumbled.

"Yesterday," Harry repeated.

"Let's make a deal, all right?" Snape requested. "The next time either of you feels the need to do something to yourself, come find me, or go to one another. I know that, at the time, you feel like you need to do it. But trust me, when you're suddenly floating in mid-air after jumping out of the Astronomy Tower window... It makes you think." Draco cracked a small smile. Harry only stared at his hands, silently. "Harry?"

"I don't only do it because of what they did to me, you know?" he said, quietly. "I-I just... I hate myself. I hate myself as the 'Boy Who Lived', and I hate myself as just me. I hate feeling like the world is on my shoulders, because that makes me wonder if I can really handle it. And _that_ makes me feel like I'm weak, like I'm just going to fail at everything. Then _that_ makes me feel like everyone would be better off without a failure like me. They deserve so much better than me. 

"Then sometimes I think they don't really care, they just act like it. Maybe to get some of the fame or whatever. I hate the fame. I hate it when people meet me and they just stare at that bloody scar. It's like they're not even looking at me, it's like I'm not me. 

"And then there's the nightmares... How in Merlin's name can I live my life normally when every night is a flashback of nearly suffocating in that bloody cupboard, or being raped repeatedly by my uncle _and_ my cousin, or being hit in my head with the leg of a chair until I pass out, or having my chest stood on by my cousin, leaving footprints and crushing my ribs? How in the bloody hell can I live when that's what I see every night? Most nights, I don't even let myself go to sleep because I can't stand the thought of what memory I'm going to relive next..."

Draco and Snape stared at Harry for a moment. They both had tears in their eyes, and Draco had let a few slip out. But Harry wouldn't cry. He didn't want to cry in front of them because that would be another thing to add to the list of what was wrong with him. 

"Harry, crying isn't a bad thing, you know," Snape told him, gently. "It helps sometimes, it really does." He could tell that Harry wanted to let it out. He could tell that the boy had tears in his eyes that he desperately needed to release.

And he was right.

Harry buried his face in his hands, silent sobs wracking his entire body. Draco moved over to the couch and, without hesitation, pulled Harry into a hug. Harry froze at the touch, but relaxed within a few moments and wrapped his arms around Draco as well. When he felt Harry's body stop shuddering, Draco pulled away and wiped his eyes, as did Harry.

"Thank you," Harry whispered. Draco gave him a small smile.

"I figured it was what we both needed," he replied. There was a silent pause, until Snape broke it.

"Well... I think that's enough talking for the day," he said. "Same time, next week?" The boys nodded. "Good. And if you need anything before then, just come to me. Even if it's in the middle of the night, and don't worry about Filch catching you out of bed. He knows that you two have 'special circumstances.' Now go on, go out and have some fun. You both deserve it."

The boys thanks the professor, then moved to leave. Harry hobbled after Draco on his crutches.

"What are you planning on doing?" Draco asked Harry.

"Quidditch practice. Fred and George asked me to come and watch, even if I can't play yet. You?"

"Homework," Draco sighed. Harry gave him a sympathetic look.

"Well, have fun, I guess," he said, just as they were about to split ways. "And Draco? Thanks a lot."

"Don't worry about it," Draco replied, smiling slightly. "Take care tonight. I'll see you tomorrow." With that, he headed up to Slytherin Tower. Harry made his way outside, to the Quidditch field. He spotted Ron and Hermione in the stands, and went up to sit with them.

"Hey, mate, how did it go?" Ron asked, taking in Harry's tearstained face.

"It was...more than I expected. It helped a little, though." He changed the subject. "How's practice going?" He looked up at the Gryffindor Quidditch team in the air.

"They're not really practicing," Hermione laughed. "They're just chasing each other around on their broomsticks and throwing things."

"Looks like they're having fun." Harry sighed, softly. "If it wasn't for this bloody leg, I could be up there."

"Give it time, Harry," Hermione told him. "You said yourself that your leg will be fine in a couple of weeks." Harry nodded and stood up.

"I'm tired. I'm going to go back to the Tower. See you guys later."

When Harry reached the fifth-year boys dorm, he changed his clothes and climbed into bed. He drew the curtains around his four-poster, then picked up his wand, waving it a little.

"_Silencio_," he whispered. With that, he went to sleep.


	7. Chapter 7

__

Pain. It conquered his body. Every inch of his physical being was taken over by immense pain, and it was all he could do not to cry out. If he did that, then they'd come back and punish him some more.

Memories of what they had done to him the night before flooded his mind. They hadn't just raped him; it was so much more than that. They'd forced him to do all kinds of things with them.

He felt so dirty, so impure. He hadn't been allowed to wash for days, and he couldn't now, when he felt that he needed it most.

He couldn't move. He just huddled himself up in the corner of the empty room, with a thin blanket to cover his naked body. If he even slightly moved, all of his joints would scream out in protest.

Suddenly, he heard footsteps and froze. They're coming back for more...

~~~

Harry sat up quickly, his face soaked with tears and sweat. He grabbed his crutches and hurried to the bathroom, barely shutting the door before he began to empty the contents of his stomach into the toilet. When he finished, he weakly stood up and grabbed his toothbrush. He proceeded to cleanse his mouth for ten minutes, before stripping and scrubbing his whole body so hard that his skin turned red.

Finally, Harry gave up and put his clothes back on, tears streaming down his cheeks. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a pen knife, examining it from all angles before lowering it to his left wrist. Just as he was about to slice, he dropped the knife. It barely grazed his wrist before falling into the sink.

"I can't..." he whispered. "But I want to... But I _can't_..."

Before Harry knew what he was doing, he'd made it out of Gryffindor Tower. He didn't pay attention to where he was going; he just went where his instincts told him to.

He ended up in front of the portrait to Snape's quarters.

Taking a breath, he said the password, and the door opened. Harry slowly made his way inside, praying to Merlin that Snape was awake. His prayers were answered when he found the professor in a chair, reading a book. The older wizard looked up when he heard Harry's crutches on the floor.

"Harry? Are you all right?" Snape asked, concerned. Harry hung his head, slowly shaking it from side to side. "Come in, sit down." Harry made his way to the couch. "What happened to you?"

"I had a nightmare," Harry whispered, staring at his hands. "I woke up and felt so dirty... Got sick... Tried to wash the dirtiness off... Tried to cut, but I couldn't..." He held his wrist out, revealing a few drops of blood that were seeping out of the tiny cut. "The knife fell... I couldn't do it..." He wiped his eyes. "I wonder... I wonder how blood, something so pure and clean and beautiful... How can it be inside something so disgusting and dirty like me?"

"Harry," Snape said, softly. "Harry, can you tell me about your nightmare?" Harry shook his head, his emerald eyes bright with tears.

"Please, don't make me talk about it," he pleaded. "It hurts to remember... I don't want to remember anymore..."

"The memories don't last forever, Harry," Snape assured him, sitting next to him on the couch. "Given time, they fade away." He gently touched Harry's arm, but the boy pulled away.

"Please, don't touch me," he whispered. Snape moved over to put a little more space between them.

"All right, but I'm going to tell you again that I won't hurt you," the older man said. "I don't care how long it takes to get you to believe me and to trust me. I want to help you." Harry nodded.

"I know, I just...don't want anyone touching me." He stood up with his crutches. "I should go back to my tower. I'm sorry I bothered you..."

"You didn't bother me, Harry," Snape insisted. "You're welcome here anytime you need anything."

Harry went back up to Gryffindor Tower and into the third-year boys' dorm. Once there, he sat on the floor by the window and stared outside. After a few moments, a black bird came to the window. It had a piece of parchment attached to its leg, with Harry's name on it. Harry let the bird in, untied the parchment, and gave the bird a pat on its head. Then he opened the letter.

****

Harry,

He knows. I'm scared, I can't sleep.

I can't go to Hogsmeade tomorrow. Are you going? If you're staying, could we hang out or something? Everyone in Slytherin is going (except for Pansy, but I don't like her), and you're my only real friend besides some of them. Send an answer back with my bird.

Draco

Harry turned the parchment over and grabbed his quill, then wrote a reply.

Draco,

Everything will be fine, I'm sure. Snape and Dumbledore and everyone, they wouldn't let anything happen.

No, I'm not going to Hogsmeade. I'm not allowed until my leg's healed because of all the people there. While everyone else is gone, I'll tell you about an...incident I had tonight. I can't sleep anymore, either.

Don't be scared. Everything will be all right. Take care, and I'll see you tomorrow.

Harry

He tied the letter back to the bird's foot, patted its head again, and sent it on its way. Then he just continued to stare out the window for the rest of the night.

~~~

****

Saturday, September 18, 1993

"So what happened last night?" Draco asked Harry the next afternoon at lunch. The twenty or so people who hadn't gone to Hogsmeade (plus the first- and second-years) were eating lunch in the Great Hall, as were a couple of teachers, including Snape and Lupin.

"I had a nightmare," Harry mumbled, tiredly. "Woke up around midnight, felt dirty... Tried to wash the memories off, the reminders, but I could still feel it... I wanted to cut, I tried, but I couldn't... I started walking and suddenly I just found myself in front of Snape's quarters. Told him what happened, he said a few things, and I left. Then I got your message, wrote back, and stayed up the rest of the night."

"You didn't sleep at all after that?" Draco asked, his eyebrows raised. Harry shook his head.

"Draco, baby!" Pansy called from the Slytherin table. "What are you doing over there with _Potter_?" The Great Hall became noticeably quieter as the remaining students watched the scene. Draco ignored her, so she continued. "Hey, Potter! You know, it's really sad that you have to resort to screwing your _Muggle_ relatives because you can't get a girlfriend!" Everyone in the Hall gasped at that, but Harry didn't say anything. What really surprised everyone, however, was that Draco did.

"Bloody hell, Pansy!" Draco shouted, standing up and slamming his hands down on the table. "You're pathetic if you have to resort to tormenting Harry about situations that he couldn't control. Are you even human? If I didn't know _first-hand_ the kinds of things Harry went through, then I'd say you're _worse_ than those bloody Muggles!"

"Draco, stop," Harry whispered, loudly. "It's okay. It's not worth it." _I'm not worth it..._

"But--" Draco started. He stopped when he saw the look in Harry's eyes as the boy stood up with his crutches.

"It's okay," Harry repeated as he headed for the doors. Draco gave Pansy one last glare.

"This isn't over," he warned her. "I have plenty more to say to you." With that, he looked over at Snape and gave him a look that said 'follow,' then went after Harry. 

"Harry?" Draco called after he passed through the doors and didn't see Harry. He looked around, frantically. "Damn it, Harry, where are you?" Snape came up next to Draco, who looked like he was going to panic. "I don't know where he went!"

"Draco, do you think he might try something?" Snape asked, more than a little worried.

"I-I saw this...this _dead_ look in his eyes," Draco told him, quietly. "There was no emotion in them at all... Yeah, I think he might." 

"All right," Snape said, taking a breath. "I'm going to check Gryffindor Tower. You go back and tell Professor Lupin what's going on. Do whatever he tells you to do." Snape then ran as fast as he could up to Gryffindor Tower, keeping an eye out for Harry on the way.

"Bertie Botts," Snape said when he came to the Fat Lady portrait. The door opened, and Snape ran into the common room, calling for Harry. "Harry, are you in here?" 

Snape made his way throughout the whole dorm, but Harry was nowhere to be found. So the professor went back out to the Fat Lady.

"Has young Mr. Potter come this way?" he asked her.

"No, I'm sorry, I haven't seen him," the Lady apologized. 

"If you see him, try to stall him, all right? It's very important." The Lady agreed.

~~~

"Have you found him?" Draco asked, worried, an hour later. Snape shook his head as Lupin came up to them.

"I've looked everywhere I can think of," Snape sighed, sitting at the table they were at. He placed his head in his hands. "Everywhere I'd go, everywhere I _have_ gone... He's nowhere to be found. None of the ghosts have seen him. Peeves claims he has, but he won't say anything. None of the portraits have seen him..."

"I contacted Minerva in Hogsmeade," Lupin told Snape. "She's bringing the Weasley twins back, and if I'm not mistaken, they have something that will help us find Harry."

Within half an hour, McGonagall and Fred and George Weasley came into the Great Hall. The Weasleys looked at Lupin and Snape innocently.

"What did we do now?" they asked in unison.

"You haven't done anything," Lupin assured them. "We haven't been able to find Harry for the past hour and a half, and we have reason to believe that he may hurt himself, though you are _not_ to tell anyone else that. I believe the two of you have something that will tell us where, exactly, Harry is on Hogwarts grounds." 

Eyes wide, George reached into his robes and pulled out a blank piece of parchment. Lupin took it from him and placed it on the table.

"I solemnly swear that I am up to no good," he said, quietly, as he tapped the parchment with his wand. Immediately a map appeared, and a title at the top of the parchment read:

****

Mssrs. Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs

Purveyors of Aids to Magical Mischief-Makers

are proud to present

THE MARAUDER'S MAP

The map showed every detail of the castle and its grounds. Tiny ink dots were moving around the map, each labeled with a name.

"How did you know--" Fred started.

"Simple," Lupin replied. "I helped make it." He tapped the parchment again. "Show me Harry Potter." Another dot appeared, this one larger than the others, and it was labeled 'Harry Potter.' "He's in the secret passage leading to the Honeydukes cellar."

"He's not going _into_ Hogsmeade, is he?" Snape asked.

"No, it looks like he isn't moving anywhere." Lupin looked at Fred and George. "Thank you, and I'm going to have to keep this, at least for a while. Severus, Draco, come with me."

Snape and Draco followed Lupin to passageway behind a statue of a hump-backed, one-eyed witch in a third-floor corridor. Lupin tapped the statue with his wand and spoke the word '_dissendium_,' and the three entered the passage, finding it to be pitch black.

"_Lumos_," Lupin muttered, holding out his wand. The hall lit up a little, and Snape did the same as Lupin, so that they would be able to see better. 

After a series of twists and turns, Draco spotted a small figure huddled in the shadows of a corner. 

"Harry?" he said, softly. 

The figure lifted its head, and in the light, they could all tell that it was Harry. He was leaning back against the wall, staring at an object in his hands. His face was stained with tears, and his eyes were red. 

"Harry, we've been looking for you for almost two hours," Draco told him, gently, as he knelt down in front of him.

"Has it been that long?" Harry asked in a weak voice. Draco nodded his head.

"The look in your eyes when you left... I was scared you were going to do something." Harry didn't reply right away.

Finally, he swallowed hard and said, "You're too late..." 

With that, he slumped over, unconscious, his head landing against Draco's shoulder. The object, a knife, fell to the ground. Draco lit his own wand and brought it close to Harry, whose robes were bloodsoaked. Lifting Harry's sleeves back, Draco whimpered a little.

"Oh, Merlin..." 

Harry's wrists were cut up so badly that it looked like there was hardly any skin left. A severe amount of blood was spouting from the slashes. Draco hugged his friend tightly, letting a few tears escape from his eyes.

"He's so cold," Draco whispered. "Why is he so cold?"

"Draco," Snape said, softly, as he knelt down next to the two boys. Lupin did the same. "Draco, let go of him. I'm going to heal his wrists as best I can, and then we're going to take him to Madam Pomfrey. But first you have to let go."

Reluctantly, Draco let go and allowed Lupin to embrace him. Snape made Harry lay flat on the ground, with his head in the professor's lap. Then Snape wrapped his hands around Harry's wrists, whispering foreign words. It took a moment or two, but several of the wounds sealed.

"He's lost a lot of blood," Snape said, quietly. "I healed a lot of the cuts, but there are more that are still bleeding." He lifted Harry up, cradling him protectively in his arms, and began to run for the entrance they came in. He called back to Lupin and Draco as they followed him. "His breathing is shallow, and I can barely feel a pulse. If we don't get him to Poppy soon, we're going to lose him." 

~~~

At dinner that night, after everyone returned to Hogwarts, Dumbledore, Snape, Lupin, and McGonagall were all missing from the High Table. Ron and Hermione wondered what was going on, since Harry was missing, too, as was Draco.

As Ron and Hermione were finishing their supper, Professor Lupin came to the table. His expression was solemn, and the two teenagers immediately became worried.

"The two of you need to come to the hospital wing," Lupin said, softly. "Harry has been having some..._problems_, problems that you don't know about. We've decided it's time to stop hiding it from you. Are you finished with your dinner? Come with me, then."

Lupin led Hermione and Ron upstairs, where they found Harry unconscious on a bed in the hospital wing. Thick bandages were wrapped around his wrists, and his arms and legs were restrained to the bed. His skin was deathly pale. Draco sat in a chair next to Harry, just staring at him. The teachers who'd been missing from dinner were also in the room.

"What's going on?" Hermione asked, slowly, as she glanced up at Lupin. Tears were welling up in her eyes.

"Since we found out about Harry's problems at home," Snape explained, softly, "we've known that he's had suicidal tendencies. This afternoon, he was..._provoked_, and he disappeared for nearly two hours. Professor Lupin, Draco, and I found him in a secret passage to Hogsmeade."

"He slit his wrists," Draco murmured. "Real bad... He passed out right after we found him."

"Professor Snape healed as many of the cuts as he could," Lupin continued. "But Harry had lost a lot of blood. We nearly lost him on the way up here." Ron hugged Hermione tightly as she began to cry. He even let out a few tears, himself.

"Will he be all right?" Ron asked.

"There's no way to tell," Madam Pomfrey replied. "If he makes it through the night, then there's a good chance that he'll wake up. When he wakes up, whether or not he's all right depends on how well he cooperates with us, and how much he wants to live. I'm afraid that at the moment, he doesn't have much of a will to live."

"Damn it, Harry, when you wake up, I'll bloody well kill you myself," Draco whispered. 

"Tell only who you must," Lupin requested of Ron and Hermione, who agreed. "You can stay for a few moments, but then you should go back to your tower. That goes for you, as well, Draco."

"Why do we have to go?" Hermione asked, sniffling. "We won't sleep tonight, either way."

"Headmaster Dumbledore's orders," Lupin explained, apologetically. "Rest assured, there will be someone in here with him at every moment. If there's any change, or if he wakes up, someone will tell you as soon as possible."

~~~

****

Tuesday, September 21, 1993

Ron, Hermione, and Draco were excused from their classes for the next several days, and of course, they spent every possible moment in the hospital wing. Harry had made it through the first night, but there was no significant change in his condition until Tuesday afternoon.

"How are you doing, Draco?" Hermione asked when she and Ron came into the hospital wing. As usual, Draco was sitting in the chair by Harry's bed, watching him 'sleep.'

"Decent," Draco replied. "I think he might wake up today." 

"Really?" Ron said. "What makes you think that?"

"He's been moving his hands a little," Draco explained. 

Hermione stood next to the bed, reaching down to touch Harry's face. He seemed to sense her touch, because he let out a kind of sigh. He had a content look on his face.

"I hope you're right," Hermione said, softly. 

She reached over to the bedside table and picked up the crosswords book that she'd given Harry during his last stay in the hospital wing. This was now a kind of ritual as the three waited for Harry to wake up. They'd meet up in the infirmary and do crossword puzzles (some with Muggle clues, and some with Wizard clues), hoping that Harry would suddenly chime in with an answer. Today they did a Wizard puzzle, so that Hermione wouldn't be the only one to know the answers, although Ron joked that she'd _still_ be the only one to know the answers.

"Look at this, Harry's even in a crossword puzzle." Hermione laughed a little as she reach the clue to the boys. "Seven-down, The Boy Who Lived. Harry Potter." The answer appeared in the blocks on the page.

"Forty-eight-across," Ron read. "Dark Wizard defeated by Albus Dumbledore in 1945. Grindelwald."

"Seventeen-down, Famous Alchemist," Draco read. The three thought for a moment.

"Nicolas Flamel."

The voice was weak, but it was audible. The three turned to look at Harry, whose eyes were barely open, and just stared at him. Then Draco, Hermione, and Ron exchanged glances.

"So who wants to kill him first?" Draco asked, grinning.

"How long have you been awake, Harry?" Hermione wondered, touching his hand. 

"A few minutes, maybe..." Harry mumbled. He looked at Ron and Hermione. "They told you?"

"Yes, they told us, and as soon as you get better and get out of here, we're all going to take turns beating the bloody hell out of you. That way, you'll know the consequences if you ever scare us like that again." Ron's face turned from serious to smiling. "It's good to have you back, mate." Harry frowned, discovering the restraints on his arms and legs.

"For your own safety," Draco told him. 

"How long have I been out?" 

"Since Saturday, and today is Tuesday," Hermione told him.

"Have I missed much?" Harry wondered.

"My father is going to Azkaban," Draco offered, smiling. "Since he used the Cruciatus Curse on me... I also found out that, since my father was Voldemort's 'right-hand man,' he'd been planning on making _me_ Voldemort's personal whore. You saved me, Harry. You told them just in the nick of time." Harry smiled back, weakly.

"How are you feeling?" Hermione asked, brushing Harry's hair from his face with her fingers.

"All right..." Harry murmured. He looked at his friends. "I'm sorry... I didn't plan on it being that bad; I only wanted to cut a little... Just enough so there was pain... I didn't realize until it was too late... I'm sorry..."

"Don't apologize," Draco said, softly. He stood up. "Professor Snape asked me to tell him when you woke up. I'll go tell him now, and I'll be back in a few minutes." 

Harry nodded, and Draco headed down to Snape's classroom, where the professor was teaching his fourth-year Potions class. Snape was examining someone's potion when Draco arrived, so the boy stood quietly in the doorway.

"Professor Snape, Draco Malfoy is here," said a student, suddenly. Snape looked towards the door and quickly made his way over to the boy.

"He's awake, sir," Draco told him. "He talking and says he's feeling fine. He's not too happy with the restraints, though."

"Of course he isn't," Snape said. "I wasn't either... I'll be by to see him after all my classes. Make sure Madam Pomfrey knows that he's awake."


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: Anything you recognize, I don't own. That goes for the entire story, in case I forget a disclaimer on every chapter 

~~~

****

Friday, September 24, 1993

Friday night, the designated "counseling night," Draco and Snape came to the hospital wing, after being promised by Pomfrey that nobody would be allowed in unless it was an absolute emergency.

Harry was still strapped to the bed. He'd tried everything he could think of to get the restraints off, but to no avail. Snape had put charms on them so that only he, Dumbledore, Lupin, McGonagall, or Pomfrey could remove them. To say that Harry was upset about it would be an understatement. He wouldn't barely even speak to Snape after he found out. He would barely speak to anyone.

"Harry, I have some good news," Snape said, softly, when he came into the room. "Madam Pomfrey said that your leg's been healing a great deal faster than she'd initially thought. She's going to check it again tomorrow morning, but she's almost certain that it will be fully healed, and the cast will come off." 

Harry looked mildly pleased by the news, but both Draco and Snape knew that it had not been what he was hoping for. 

"Come on, Harry, that means you can start participating in Quidditch practices when you get out of here," the professor pressed. Harry eyed him.

"Will that be any time soon?"

"Oh, Merlin, I can't fool you," Snape sighed, smiling a little. "You'll probably be out by Sunday evening. We may possibly take the restraints off tomorrow." The professor thought he'd be happy about this news, as well, but alas, he wasn't.

"Tomorrow," Harry whispered. "Why not now? I hate this..."

"I know you do, Harry, but it's for your own good. As much as I hate to say it, we can't trust you not to hurt yourself yet."

"You think I'll do it again?! It didn't do me any good this time; why the bloody hell would I do it again?"

"You never can be too safe."

"My back hurts, laying flat like this," Harry mumbled. "I can't even eat on my own. I can't scratch my nose if it itches. All I can do is just lay here."

"Oh, I'm sure I could think of some things to do in that position, if I was in your place," Draco commented, smirking. The twinkle of evil in his eye made Harry laugh in spite of himself. "Not alone, of course. Someone else would definitely be needed." Snape laughed a little as well, making a mental note to himself to thank Draco for cheering Harry up.

"Well, I've put a silencing spell on this room," Snape said. "We can hear them outside, but they can't hear us. So we don't have to worry about the wrong people knowing anything. Do either of you want to say anything?" Draco looked thoughtful for a moment.

"Yeah, I'd definitely need to put a silencing spell on the room as well, if I was in your place, Harry." Snape and Harry just shook their heads, smiling. "Hey, Severus? Were you ever married?" Snape's smile disappeared, and his eyes instantly lost their sparkle.

"Aren't these sessions supposed to be about the two of you?"

"Ah, but you said last week that we can ask you any questions we want to." Snape sighed.

"No, Draco, I was never married." His voice was sort of sad and distant. "I _did_ love a woman. I still do. But we never married."

"What happened?" Draco wondered.

"She died," Snape responded. "She died about twelve years ago." 

__

That's strange, Harry thought to himself. _Severus was friends with my mother... My mother died twelve years ago... Oh, no way. Sev loved my mother?!_

Snape snapped out of his reverie and found Harry staring at him with a skeptical look on his face. Sighing, Snape changed the subject.

"Draco, are you playing Quidditch this season?"

"I was considering quitting," Draco replied. "But then I thought, if I quit, who would give Potter here a run for his money?" Hearing this, Harry stopped staring at Snape and looked at Draco, grinning tiredly.

"You only _think_ you can catch up to my level," Harry taunted. 

"Oh, I don't need to 'catch up,' baby, I'm already there and _beyond_," Draco laughed.

"That's it. The first night I'm out of here, it's going to be just you, me, and the Golden Snitch. _Then_ we'll see who has to catch up!"

"And me," Snape added, smiling. "You'll need supervision."

"Care to place a bet, Potter?" Draco asked. "If I win, you have to announce to the whole school that I'm a better Seeker than you."

"And if _I_ win, you have to test _five_ of Fred and George's new tricks," Harry challenged. Draco's eyes widened in horror, but he quickly recovered.

"You're on. First night you're out of here."

~~~

****

Monday, September 27, 1993

And so it was. Monday night, Harry and Draco met on the Quidditch field with their broomsticks and the Golden Snitch. Snape came with them, as well as McGonagall, Lupin, and several of the boys' closest friends. Two of Draco's friends from Slytherin came, as did Fred, George, Ron, Ginny, and Hermione.

"All right, both of you get up there," Snape instructed. "As soon as you're ready, I'll let the Snitch go."

Harry and Draco mounted their brooms and flew up about fifty feet in the air. They told Snape they were ready, and he threw the Snitch in the air as well. It circled the two boys, then shot off. They immediately sped after it.

"Come on, Harry!" Fred shouted. "We need a guinea pig!"

Harry grinned, willing his broom to go faster. But as soon as he passed Draco by a few feet, the blond quickly took over the lead as they chased the Snitch. Soon, however, it was out of sight.

They paused for a moment, trying to catch their breath. Suddenly, Draco looked up and flew up at an angle. Harry did the same, until the top of his broom reached the bottom of Draco's.

As Draco reached for the Snitch, which was only a few feet away from him, he suddenly heard a noise from below him. Looking down quickly, he saw Harry clutching his chest with one hand, holding tightly onto his broom with the other, and coughing violently. Harry tried to keep his broom steady, but he soon lost his balance, and his grip on the Nimbus, and he began to fall more than one hundred feet to the ground.

"Harry!" Draco shouted. 

Forgetting about the Snitch, he immediately turned and headed for Harry as fast as he could fly. Nearing the falling boy, Draco reached his hand down and tried to grasp Harry's. He'd barely caught his fingers when they were at about fifty feet, and Draco heard Lupin's voice as he felt Harry becoming lighter.

"Draco, it's all right!" Lupin shouted, holding out his wand. McGonagall and Snape were in the same position, as were Hermione, Fred, and George. "We've got him levitating, Draco, it's all right! Come on down here!"

Draco landed as Harry was levitated down to the ground. When Harry was safe on the grass, Draco rushed to kneel beside him. The professors and the students made their way towards them as well.

"Harry? Harry, can you hear me?" Draco asked, softly. 

He held Harry's left hand in his own, resting his right hand on Harry's forehead as he coaxed the boy into opening his eyes. When Harry's eyes opened, they conveyed pain. His coughing had ceased, but his breathing was shallow.

"My chest hurts..." Harry murmured, weakly, as Lupin knelt down on his other side.

"Your ribs haven't completely healed," Lupin told him after a minute or so. "You only had the bandages taken off a couple of days ago, and you tried to do too much at once." He conjured up a stretcher and placed Harry on it. "I'm not taking you back to the hospital wing, but you _are_ going straight to bed as soon as you get to your dorm tonight."

Everybody followed the professors and Harry into the castle, while other students inside watched curiously. The Weasleys and Hermione went ahead upstairs, while Draco's friends headed downstairs. Harry asked Lupin to stop for a second, then motioned for Draco to come into view.

"Next time," Harry grinned, weakly, as he pointed a finger at Draco. "I'm going to beat you. I guarantee it." Draco smiled.

"Not until you're completely healed. Go on, get some sleep. I'll see you tomorrow."


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize.

~~~

****

Monday, November 1, 1993

Five weeks later was the first Quidditch match of the season: Slytherin versus Gryffindor. Since they hadn't had a chance to see who won the bet, Draco and Harry carried the challenge over to the game. If Draco caught the Snitch, Harry would tell the whole school that the blond is a better Seeker. If Harry caught it, however, Draco would have to test five of Fred and George's Weasley Wizard Wheezes.

"The score is fifty to thirty, in favor of Gryffindor, and no sign of the Snitch yet," Lee Jordan announced. "Johnson has the Quaffle, going for the score! Passes Flint... Barely missed by a Bludger... And she scores! What's that? I think Malfoy sees the Snitch!"

Draco had, indeed, spotted the Golden Snitch. Harry had, as well, and was racing for it. The two were head-to-head, pushing their brooms to speed up as the flew across the field.

"See something you want, Potter?" Draco taunted.

"Whatever made you think that?" Harry asked, innocently. 

The Snitch was just a few feet ahead, and the boys reached for it. They both grabbed it at the exact same time. Suddenly, images and sounds flew through their heads.

__

"Come on, boy, you know you like this!"

A large woman was underneath a small boy on the bed. An even larger man was on top of the boy's back. All three were naked.

"Please, stop!" the boy cried but he couldn't get away. He was trapped between the man and woman, but he still screamed. "Kill me if you want to, please, just stop it!"

The next thing Harry and Draco knew, they were on the ground. Draco glanced over at Harry, who was breathing heavily and trembling. Draco, himself, was taken over by pain, but he reached a hand out to rest on Harry's shoulder.

"Everything's going to be fine, Harry," Draco whispered, weakly, as several teachers rushed onto the field. "It's all right..." 

At that moment, Snape knelt down next to Harry and lifted the boy up into a sitting position. He then pulled a vial from his robes and poured its contents into Harry's mouth. Within seconds, Harry's trembling ceased, and his breathing was returning to normal.

"Draco?" Lupin knelt down next to the blond-haired boy, who was staring upwards. "Draco, do you have a lot of pain?"

"Just sore..." Draco mumbled. "I think I'm fine..."

"Can you tell me what happened?" Lupin asked, checking him for injuries using his wand.

"We both grabbed the Snitch at the same time... Then I think Harry started to have a flashback... But it's strange... I did, too, but it wasn't really a flashback for me... I saw what they were doing to Harry..."

Moments later, Lee Jordan announced, "They both grabbed the Snitch at the same time! One hundred and fifty points to each team, and Gryffindor wins the game with a final score of two hundred and ten to one hundred and eighty!" After being reminded by McGonagall, Lee said, "Oh, right, and Malfoy and Potter are all right!"

"Harry?" Draco stood up slowly after Lupin said that he had no serious injuries. He made his way over to Harry, who was still being held up by Snape. "Harry, you all right?" Harry let out a shaky breath and closed his eyes, resting his head against Snape. Draco looked at the professor.

"He'll be just fine," Snape assured him. "You know he doesn't like to talk after flashbacks." Snape looked back down at Harry. "Do you think you can walk, Harry? We should probably get you both inside." 

Harry nodded and, with Snape and Draco's assistance, walked back to the school. Once there, they headed for Snape's chambers. Harry immediately went to the sofa and curled up on it, closing his eyes.

"What was that stuff you made him drink?" Draco asked Snape as they sat in their chairs.

"Just a potion to stop the convulsions and help Harry breath properly after a flashback," Snape replied. "I carry some of it with me wherever I go, if I'm near Harry, and I asked his teachers to keep some in their classrooms. He also has some in his dorm room, in case he has a nightmare."

"That's a good idea," Draco agreed. He looked over at Harry, who was shivering slightly on the couch. "Harry, you awake?"

"Yeah," Harry mumbled, wrapping his arms tighter around himself. Snape reached down to the floor and picked up a blanket. He went over to the couch and covered Harry with it.

"Do you want anything?" Snape asked, gently. Harry looked up at him, his eyes filled with tears.

"All I want is to forget." Snape sighed.

"I know, Harry, I know, but you have to deal with this sooner or later. I wish you didn't, but you do, and the only way to deal with it is to talk about it." When Harry didn't say another word, Snape turned to Draco. "Can you tell me what you saw tonight, Draco?"

"I saw Harry¼on top of his aunt, underneath his uncle on a bed¼" Draco swallowed hard. "They were naked, and he kept screaming, crying, and they were yelling at him¼ He told them to kill him if they wanted to, but stop what they were doing to him¼"

"Stop!" Harry suddenly cried out, covering his ears with his hands. "Just stop, please!" 

He burst into tears, taking his hands away from his ears and wrapping his arms around his legs, hugging his knees to his chest. As he began to slowly rock back and forth, Snape knew that the boy was reverting back to post-flashback habit that he'd thought Harry had stopped weeks before.

"Harry," Snape said, gently, as he sat next to the boy on the couch. He cautiously took Harry into his lap, cradling him in his arms as he tried to offer comfort. "Harry, it's all right. Everything is fine now¼ Did you see the same thing Draco saw?" Harry wiped some tears away and nodded his head, before laying it back on Snape's shoulder. "Draco, please go to my fireplace and call up Professor McGonagall. Inform her that Harry will not be returning to Gryffindor Tower tonight. Tell her not to worry, and that he will be fine."

Draco made his way to the fireplace in the next room, took a pinch of Floo powder from the jar on the mantle, and threw it into the fire. 

"Professor McGonagall."

McGonagall's face appeared in the fireplace, looking a bit flustered. She sighed when she saw Draco.

"What do you need, Mr. Malfoy?"

"Professor Snape told me to let you know that Harry won't be going back to the Tower tonight. He's staying here for the night, and Professor Snape said not to worry. Harry will be fine."

"Has something happened?" McGonagall asked, concerned. "Aside from the events at the Quidditch game, I mean."

"Harry kind of¼snapped a bit," Draco explained. "Remember when he used to curl up and rock back and forth a couple of weeks ago? He's doing that again. He's pretty upset, so Professor Snape probably just wants to keep an eye on him." McGonagall nodded.

"All right, then. Thank you for informing me, Mr. Malfoy." 

With that, the professor's head disappeared, and Draco went back into the other room. There he found Snape holding Harry in his arms, whispering words of comfort to him. Draco barely got a glimpse of Harry's face before the boy turned to bury it in Snape's robes, but if he hadn't known otherwise, Draco would have thought that Harry was a great many years younger than thirteen.

"Harry, I'm going to put you to bed, all right?" Snape said, softly. "There is an extra bedroom right across the hall from my own." 

Harry nodded, tiredly, and allowed Snape to carry him to the spare bedroom. The professor lowered Harry to the bed, then removed his robe, and hung it on a chair. Then Snape covered Harry with some blankets. Finally the older man removed a small vial from his robes and placed it on the bedside table.

"If you have a nightmare and panic afterwards, drink this," Snape instructed him. "All right?" Harry nodded. "I'll be right across the hall if you need anything. Goodnight, Harry." Snape turned to leave, but Harry reached a hand out and grabbed him.

"Draco," Harry mumbled, sleepily. Snape smiled slightly.

"I was going to ask him to stay as well. Do you want him to stay in here with you?" Harry nodded his head. Snape pointed his wand towards another corner of the room and conjured up another bed. "Do you need anything? Something to help you sleep?"

"No, thank you¼" Harry whispered, closing his eyes. Snape murmured another 'goodnight,' then went to the living room, where Draco was sitting on the couch.

"Draco, could you stay as well?" Snape asked. "I think I might need some help with him." Draco nodded his agreement. "Thank you. Harry wishes for you to stay in the spare room with him, so I put another bed in there." Draco's expression became that of sadness.

"He's really scared, isn't he?" Snape nodded, sighing.

"Yes, he is. I'm afraid we've got a long way to go with him... But Draco, while you're trying to help Harry, keep yourself in mind, too. Don't make it all about him."

"I know¼ It was terrible, what I saw in that flashback. That, and all the things he's told us. I have nightmares sometimes, and I remember a lot of the things my parents did to me. But my flashbacks are never that bad." Snape sat next to Draco on the sofa.

"Draco, you said several weeks ago that your father had been planning something; something that had to do with you and Voldemort." Draco sighed, hugging a small pillow to his chest.

"Voldemort¼ There is always one person who is basically his slave. This slave never goes out to do what the Death Eaters do for Voldemort; rather, he or she fulfills¼_personal_ requests for the Dark Lord." Draco glanced up at the professor with tear-filled eyes. "The slave is always the child of Voldemort's most loyal, highest-ranked servant, as soon as that child turns thirteen." He smiled slightly. "Harry told you and the Headmaster about my parents just in time. Father was planning on taking me to the Dark Lord soon after Harry told you."

"Thank Merlin for Harry, then," Snape sighed, rubbing his face with his hand. He looked down at Draco, who was slightly pale and shaky as he thought about what had almost happened. "Perhaps you should go to bed, Draco. Go on. I'll wake the two of you for breakfast in the morning."

~~~

****

Tuesday, November 2, 1993

"Draco, Harry?" Snape stood in the doorway to the spare bedroom the next morning. 

Draco lay on Harry's bed, on his side, with his head propped up by his arm as he spoke quietly to his friend. Harry sat against the headboard of the bed, hugging his knees to his chest and resting his head on his knees. Glancing at the bedside table, Snape frowned when he saw that the vial he'd put there was empty.

"Everything all right?" Snape asked, softly. Draco and Harry glanced over at him, and Draco nodded. "Class in an hour. You should both go to your Towers and get ready for breakfast."

"Are you going to be all right?" Draco asked Harry, who nodded. "All right. I'll see you in Potions then." Glancing at Snape, Draco smirked and winked at Harry. "Terrible class, Potions."

"Hey!" 

"I know what you mean," Harry agreed, smiling weakly. "Can you believe that teacher? Miserable old man, that one."

"Oh, I'll get you two. Trust me on that one. Now go on, both of you."

Harry went up to Gryffindor Tower and changed into a clean uniform, then gathered his books and went down to the Great Hall. He sat at the Gryffindor table with his friends, who all greeted him.

"Where were you last night, Harry?" Ron wondered. Harry put a little bit of food on his plate.

"Stayed downstairs with Snape and Draco," he said, quietly. "At the Quidditch game, I had a flashback, and Draco saw the same thing I did. Snape asked Draco what he saw, and after Draco told him, I...snapped."

"Are you feeling all right?" Hermione wondered. Harry nodded his head. After a while, he pushed his plate away.

"I'm not very hungry. I'll see you all in Potions, all right?" He took his books and went to Snape's classroom.

"You're early," Snape commented. He didn't look up from the parchment he was writing on. 

"Finished breakfast early," Harry replied. He sat down in his seat and opened his textbook.

"Harry," Snape said, suddenly. He put down his quill and looked at the boy. "I was thinking that, since you don't like to talk about your nightmares and flashbacks, perhaps you could write them down afterwards. It will help me to help you better if I know exactly what's going on in your mind."

"Okay," Harry agreed. He looked back to his book.

"Are you all right?" Harry nodded his head, then suddenly closed his book and looked at Snape.

"Professor, you loved my mother, didn't you?" he asked. The professor's head snapped up to look at the boy in shock, and Harry explained his logic. "You said you were good friends with my mother. You said that you loved--and still love--a woman who died twelve years ago. My mother died twelve years ago."

"I'm sorry, Harry, but this is neither the time, nor the place, to be having this discussion." Snape looked back to his writing, until he heard Harry's sad voice.

"People never tell me about her, you know," he said, quietly. "They tell me how I'm so much like my father. We were both Seekers and what-not... All I've been told about my mother is that I have her eyes, and she died protecting me." Snape sighed and looked back at the boy.

"I'll tell you what, Harry," he said, softly. "One of these days, I'll set aside some time to talk to you about your mother. I'll answer any questions you have about her. Just not today."

"All right," Harry agreed. And with that, he opened his book again.


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize.

~~~

****

Sunday, December 19, 1993

"Oh, I hate to leave you two like this," Hermione sighed. She, Ron, Draco, and Harry stood in the Great Hall before the students left for Christmas vacation.

Hermione and the Weasleys were both leaving to spend Christmas with their families; Ron, Fred, George, and Ginny were going to Romania to visit Charlie. Draco and Harry were two of less than ten students staying at Hogwarts for Christmas.

"Don't worry about it," Harry told her, smiling. "Go have fun with your parents. And Ron, have fun with the dragons."

"I will," Ron laughed. "See you in two weeks!" He waved and left, while Hermione hung back for a moment.

"What are you two going to do, then?" she wondered.

"Spending Christmas with Snape will prove to be a..._different_ experience, I'm sure," Draco told her. "We're staying down in the 'dungeons' with him. I doubt we'll get bored."

"Well, have fun, then!" Hermione told them before giving each of them a hug. "Stay out of trouble, and send me an owl, all right? Bye!" She turned and left the Great Hall, and Harry and Draco headed for Snape's chambers.

"Have all your friends left?" Snape asked when the two came in. He was reading a book on potions ingredients.

"Yeah," Draco replied, yawning. "Sev, Harry and I are going outside. That all right?"

"Dress warmly," Snape instructed them. "You don't want to spend Christmas--" Draco sneezed. "--sick. On second thought, Draco, maybe you should stay inside."

"No, I'm fine," Draco insisted as he and Harry pulled on warmer robes. "See you later!"

"Stay close to the castle, and don't stay out too long!" Snape called after them as they ran out. 

"Merlin, it's cold out here!" Harry exclaimed as he and Draco made their way through the snow. "Why did we come out, again? Refresh my memory."

"Because...we didn't want to spend the entire vacation holed up in that castle?" Draco offered. Harry shrugged his shoulders.

"Sounds good to me. Let's go see Hagrid. He'll probably have hot chocolate for us."

By the time the two made it to Hagrid's hut, they were nearly frozen. Hagrid laughed when he saw them shivering, their cheeks pink and their teeth chattering. He quickly brought them inside, where it was nice and warm from the fire.

"Hi, Hagrid," Harry said as they sat at the table. Hagrid brought over a pot from the fire and began to pour the dark brown liquid into cups.

"Yer just in time," he said. "I made some hot chocolate, an' I needed someone ter share it with."

"Glad we could be of service," Draco told him, smiling. He took a sip of the cocoa. "This is great."

"Drink up, then, there's plenty more. Yer lookin' a mite pale, Draco."

"He's _always_ pale, Hagrid," Harry laughed. Draco glared at him, though his eyes were smiling.

"Eh, best not ter stay ou' in the cold too long," Hagrid continued, pausing when Draco sneezed. "You'll get sick. Don't have to worry abou' that now, though, do we?"

"I'm not sick," Draco protested. "I never get sick." Harry looked at Hagrid and rolled his eyes.

"Any other students stayin' over Christmas?" Hagrid wondered.

"A couple first-years," Harry replied. "That's about it."

"And...ugh..._Pansy_," Draco groaned. "She won't get it through her head that I _don't like her_."

"Even after you told her off, defending me all those times, she's still stuck on you," Harry commented, shaking his head. "It's sad, really. But we don't have to worry about running into her _too_ much. She's staying in the dorm."

"Dumbledore said that since so few students have stayed, there's only going to be one table for meals in the Great Hall. Some teachers and the students will eat together... Do you think we'll be eating with them much, Harry? I mean, I saw the kitchen in Sev's chambers. Do you know if he can cook?" Draco looked hopeful.

"No idea. Hagrid?" Harry and Draco looked at the gamekeeper.

"I distinctly remember a time when Professor Snape was tryin' to make toast. Didn't work out." The boys laughed.

"Even if he can't cook, I can," Harry told Draco. "I used to always cook at the Dursleys'..." His voice trailed off. Draco glanced at Hagrid, then looked back at Harry.

"Come on, Harry, we should be getting back," he said, gently. He took Harry by his arm and led him towards the door. "Thanks, Hagrid, for the hot chocolate. And for telling us about the toast. We'll be sure to tease the professor about that one."

"Yeh take care, now. Bye-bye."

Draco led a now-silent Harry towards the castle. Once inside, the headed downstairs to dry off and warm up.

"That didn't take long," Snape teased the two as they came in. 

His smirk disappeared when he saw Harry, and he caught Draco's eye. Draco just shook his head and took Harry to their room. After the boys removed their robes, Draco pointed his wand at himself and said a spell to dry and heat his clothes. Then he did the same thing to Harry. They went back out to the main room, and Harry curled up on the sofa with a book that Hermione had loaned him. Draco followed Snape to his laboratory, where he began to brew a potion.

"What happened?" Snape asked, measuring some wolfsbane.

"We went over to Hagrid's for some hot chocolate," Draco explained. "We got started talking about cooking, since I noticed your kitchen. We asked Hagrid if you could cook, and he told us about a time when you tried to make toast, and it didn't work out." Snape's face turned a little pink. "So Harry said even if you can't cook, he can, because he used to always cook at the Dursleys'. He hasn't said a word since that, but I think he'll be just fine."

"I think you're right," Snape agreed as he began to stir the potion. He set it on a shelf, and they went back out to the main room. "So you know of my inability to cook now. I usually eat in the Great Hall, or ask the house elves to bring me something." Draco curled up at the empty end of the sofa.

"Yeah, well..." he said, yawning. "I saw the kitchen, and I thought, why would you have a kitchen if you can't cook? I guess I just kind of got my hopes up. I've never had a real simple, family-type of meal, you know? Just whatever the house elves brought us."

"What kind of food do you like?" Harry asked, suddenly, without looking up from his book.

"Normal food, I guess," Draco said, shrugging his shoulders. "And I don't mean what I used to normally have. Everything I had at home was always so fancy and perfect, and I always ate alone. I hated it." He laid his head on the armrest of the sofa and closed his eyes, pulling a blanket over himself. Within minutes, he was asleep, and not very soundly either.

"He's sick," Harry said, still engrossed in the book.

"I can tell," Snape said. "I'm going to take him to his bed." He lifted Draco up and carried him into the boys' bedroom, then returned after a few moments.

"What time is it?" Harry wondered. 

"Almost four o'clock. Why?" Harry putted his book down and got up from the couch. "What are you planning?"

"I'm going to make Draco dinner," Harry said, simply. "You, too, of course. But I don't want him to think he got his hopes up for nothing." Snape smiled and reached down to mess up Harry's hair.

"You're a good kid, Harry." Harry smiled back and headed for the door.

"I need to see if the house elves will let me have some stuff from the kitchen. I'll be back in a little while."

Around five-thirty, Snape went to wake Draco up. He sat next to the boy on the bed and shook him a little.

"Draco, get up. Harry has something to show you. Come on, I know you don't feel well, but maybe this will make you feel a little better."

Reluctantly, Draco got out of bed and followed Snape to the dining room, his aching head protesting every step of the way. What awaited him, however, amazed him.

Three places were set at the table, and each plate had chicken strips on it, as well as a small portion of mixed vegetables. Behind each plate was a glass of soda, and in the center of the table was a basket of homemade bread.

"What--" Draco started, staring at the food, then at Harry.

"It's a normal, simple meal," Harry said, shrugging his shoulders. "Muggle-style, of course."

"He didn't use a _bit_ of magic for this," Snape told Draco. The blond just stared wide-eyed at the food, his mouth dropped open.

"You did this for me?" he asked Harry, who nodded, smiling. Draco hugged Harry tightly, tears evident in his voice. "Thank you, Harry. You have no idea how much this means to me."

"Hey, what are friends for?" They all sat down at the table. "I figured, you've been taking care of me the past couple of months, defending me and helping me through my flashbacks and stuff. It was time for me to reciprocate." Harry looked around the table, thinking hard. "Oh, I know I forgot something... Oh, right!" He snapped his fingers, and a tiny bowl of honey appeared next to each plate. "The chicken's really good with honey. Try it."

"How'd you do that?! That was bloody brilliant!" Harry grinned, sneakily.

"Wouldn't you like to know," he laughed. "I'm not telling! Now try the chicken."

All in all, everyone was pleased with the meal. Draco had never had chicken strips before, let alone with honey, and he declared it to be his new favorite food. Shortly after finishing dessert, apple pie a la mode, Draco seemed to be getting tired again. Snape touched a hand against the boy's face.

"You have a fever, Draco. Go on to bed. I'll bring you something in a minute."

"Thanks again, Harry..." Draco yawned as he headed for the bedroom. Harry smiled and was about to begin cleaning up, but Snape stopped him.

"Don't worry about it," the professor said. He snapped his fingers, and everything in the room was spotless. Smiling slyly at Harry, he said, "You're not the only one who can do that, you know." 

"You just couldn't let me think, for _one night_, that I could do something that you were unable to, could you?"

"What would be the fun in that?" Snape asked, innocently. He frowned when Harry coughed a little. "Not you, too." He checked Harry for a fever. "That's it. To bed." Harry reluctantly went to lay down in his bed.

"Whatever you're going to try to give me, I don't want it," Harry muttered when Snape came in with two tiny vials. "I can handle being sick without you giving me anything. I've _always_ been able to handle it."

"That doesn't mean you have to," Snape retorted, giving Harry a vial. "Now shut up and drink it. It will bring your fever down." Sighing, Harry drank the potion, while Snape woke Draco to give him the same stuff. "Now both of you, just get some sleep. You'll feel better by morning."


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize.

~~~

****

Monday, December 20, 1993

"Why aren't you in bed, how long have you been up, and what are you doing?" Severus asked Harry around eight o'clock the next morning when he found the boy in the kitchen.

"Couldn't sleep, half an hour, and making breakfast."

"Harry, you don't _have_ to cook for us, you know." Harry held up a hand as he pointed his wand at three eggs, which cracked perfectly over a steaming pan.

"I don't care. I want to. It makes me feel useful, and it keeps my mind off of other things." He flipped some pancakes. "What's going on today, then? Is Draco still asleep?"

"He _is_ still asleep, like any normal teenager would be at eight o'clock on the morning on vacation." Severus looked pointedly at Harry, who shrugged his shoulders.

"Nobody ever said I was a normal teenager."

"Point taken. Draco's looking a lot better than he was last night. I was thinking that, if you two wanted to, we could go into Hogsmeade for a couple of hours and buy any last-minute gifts that we might need."

"Is it safe for him?" Harry asked, concern showing in his eyes.

"Just as safe as it is for you," Severus assured him. "However, the two of you are absolutely _not_ allowed to go anywhere out of my sight. Or Lupin's; he's going with us."

"So the evil Potions master and the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher are going to protect us?" Harry asked with a mischievous glint in his eye. "Sounds good to me. I could think of all kinds of trouble to stir up for the two of you."

"But you _won't_," Severus said in a warning tone. Harry frowned and turned back to his cooking.

"You're no fun."

~~~

Early that afternoon, Snape and Lupin took the boys into Hogsmeade. Both boys were armed with a piece of parchment listing the people they needed to buy presents for.

"You haven't bought _any_ gifts yet?" Severus asked Draco, who shook his head.

"I haven't been allowed to come to Hogsmeade," he replied. "And I certainly wasn't going to ask _you_ to buy things for me. Besides, I only have seven people to buy for. I won't be too long."

"I have four more presents to buy," Harry commented. "I've already got presents for the Weasleys and the Grangers." He looked at Draco's list. "Get Ron something that has to do with Quidditch. Get Hermione a book. It doesn't really matter which one; she'll read it either way." 

They headed into a store that sold books, posters, and many other things. Harry pulled Lupin away from the other two.

"I don't know what to get for Severus," Harry sighed. "Do you have any ideas?"

"I don't know, Harry, I'm sorry. I'm sure he'll like whatever you pick out, though." Harry's eyes lit up suddenly.

"Oh, I know what I can get for him! But I can't get it today. Hey, do you think you could bring me back here on Christmas Eve?"

"Sure," Lupin agreed, smiling at the excitement in the young boy's eyes. "Oh, Harry, I remember coming here for Christmas shopping with your mother and our friends. Lily was always so excited around Christmas; it was her favorite holiday." Harry smiled, sadly, and Lupin gave him a gentle hug. "Come on, cheer up. Who else do you have to buy for?"

"Dumbledore, Hagrid¼" Harry's voice trailed to an end. He knew that if he told Lupin that he still had to buy a present for him, the professor would tell him not to.

"Do you know what you want to buy for either of them?" Harry smiled a little.

"I know that I have to get Dumbledore a pair of woolen socks. It's a joke between us, don't ask. I'll probably get him something else to go with that, though. And for Hagrid¼ I don't really know. I saw this dragon carved out of wood, and I think he'd like it. I have to see if it's still in the shop. They're right next-door."

"I'd like to look in that shop, as well. How about I tell Severus that we'll meet him and Draco at The Three Broomsticks in an hour?"

"All right," Harry agreed.

An hour later, the two professors and the two boys were seated at a table in The Three Broomsticks. All were tired and cold, and they decided that after they got some warm drinks, they'd go back to Hogwarts.

"How'd you get your shopping done so fast?" Harry asked Draco, who had easily bought all the presents he needed. The blond boy shrugged his shoulders.

"I used to have a hard time buying presents for my¼family¼but this was just so easy today. I think it was easier because I actually care about the people I was buying for, instead of just buying them presents because I have to." Madam Rosmerta, the owner of the place, came up to their table.

"What can I get for you boys? Something to warm you up?"

"Hot chocolate all around, Rosmerta, thank you," Lupin said, smiling at the pretty woman.

"Sure thing, Remus," Rosmerta said. "How bad is it out there?"

"It's pretty cold," Severus replied, nodding his head. "I wish there were an easier, warmer way to get back to Hogwarts."

"I bet," Rosmerta said in a quiet voice, "if you ask real nice, you could probably use the 'secret' passage under Honeydukes." She turned and went back to get their drinks.

"There's an idea," Draco said. "We should try-"

"No," Harry said, suddenly. His voice was a little shaky. "No, I'm not going back in that passage."

"It's all right, Harry, you don't have to if you don't want to," Severus assured him. "Though it _would_ be warmer, and quicker¼ But if you're uncomfortable with the idea, that's fine. Remus could take Draco that way, and I'll take you the normal way."

Harry sighed, taking note of how his body was shivering and his teeth were chattering from cold. _Would I rather go through the snow and freeze, or would I rather go through the passage where I tried to kill myself and be warm?_

****

"Harry?"

He lifted his head and looked at the three people coming towards him. He was leaning back against the wall, staring at the knife in his hands. His face was stained with tears, and his eyes were red.

"Harry, we've been looking for you for almost two hours." It was Draco. He knelt down by Harry. 

"Has it been that long?" Harry asked in a weak voice. Draco nodded his head.

"The look in your eyes when you left¼ I was scared you were going to do something." Harry didn't reply right away.

Finally, he swallowed hard and said, "You're too late¼" With that, he gave in to the darkness.

Harry snapped from his reverie and looked at his teachers and Draco, who were all staring at him intently. 

"I want to go back the normal way," he whispered. "I-I just can't go back in there."

~~~

Later that evening, Severus had some 'secret' business to attend to in Dumbledore's office. Draco and Harry decided to eat supper in the Great Hall with the teachers and students. Looking around the table, the boys saw four first-year students and a sixth-year. They didn't see Pansy Parkinson, however, and for some reason, that worried Draco.

"She's up to something," he whispered to Harry. "I don't know how I know; I just do." Harry changed the subject.

"What did you get for Severus?" he asked, quietly.

"A book on potions- something or other," Draco replied. "Nothing real big, but I couldn't think of anything else. You?"

"I had a great idea, but I couldn't get it today. Lupin's taking me back to Hogsmeade on Christmas Eve."

"What is it?" Draco wondered.

"I can't tell you. It's a surprise." Harry smiled, sneakily.

After dinner, and after the teachers had left the Hall, Pansy walked in. She grinned evilly at Draco and Harry as she carried something in her hand. As she came closer to where they were sitting, by the fire, Harry saw that it was a photo album.

The photo album that Hagrid had given him in Harry's first year. Hagrid had owled all of Lily and James Potter's friends and asked for pictures to put in the album, so that Harry could see his parents.

"How did you get that?" Harry asked in a trembling voice.

"Oh, I have my ways, but don't worry about that, Potter." She practically spat out his name. "Now I've been thinking¼ Ever since you survived the Killing Curse, you've been the Golden Boy of the wizarding world. Everyone wanted to know you. Everyone cared about you. And you were _always_ in the spotlight, leaving _nothing_ for the rest of us. We're all in your shadow. So I've been trying to think of ways to get back at you for that. Potter, say good-bye to your parents once again."

With that, she opened the album, revealing a pile of pictures that she'd ripped up. Before anyone could stop her or say anything, she threw the pieces in the fire.

"Oh, Pansy, you're in for it this time," Draco warned her. 

He pulled out his wand and pointed it at her, saying a few words. She instantly turned into a rat. Then Draco ran to the fire and tried to extract any remaining pieces of pictures from the flames.

Harry could do nothing. He just sat completely still and silent, staring at the fire. His eyes were wide, filling with tears. Soon he began to tremble as he broke down, sobbing into his hands. 

"No!" he cried. "No¼" 

Draco gave up trying to save the pictures when he heard Harry. He crawled over to the boy, hugging him tightly, and then turned his head to look at the four first-years and the sixth-year, who were all watching the scene.

"One of you go upstairs to the Headmaster's office. Professor Snape is up there. I don't care what they're doing, just tell Professor Snape that he's needed down here." Nobody moved, and Draco glared at them. "_Now_, damn it!" The sixth-year, a Ravenclaw, ran upstairs and, not knowing the password to Dumbledore's office, began to shout for the Headmaster.

"Headmaster!" she yelled. After a moment, Dumbledore opened the door.

"Miss Mackenzie, what is the matter?" he asked, surprisingly pleasant after being interrupted by a student's shouting.

"Headmaster, is Professor Snape in there?" the girl asked. Snape appeared in the doorway, behind Dumbledore, when he heard the girl's frantic voice. "Professor, you're needed in the Great Hall. Something happened between Pansy Parkinson and Harry Potter, and Draco Malfoy told me to find you. Headmaster, I think you should come, too."

Snape didn't hesitate in running to the Great Hall, but nothing prepared him for the sight he was met with. He stopped short when he saw that Harry was collapsed and sobbing in Draco's arms. Quickly getting over his surprise, he continued to run over to the boys, coming quite close to stepping on the rat that scurried across the floor.

"Draco, what happened?" Severus rested a hand on Harry's head.

"Pansy somehow got hold of Harry's photo album. You know, the one Hagrid gave him with all the pictures of Harry's family? She'd gone through and ripped all the pictures up, and then she brought them in here and threw the pieces in the bloody fire, right in front of him!" Draco shook his head, his face full of anger. "I tried to get anything I could out of the fire, and then I looked back at Harry. He wasn't moving or talking or doing anything; I thought he was going to faint or something. But then he just broke down, and I sent someone to get you."

"And where is _Miss Parkinson_ now?" Severus asked, frowning in disgust as he spoke her name. Draco pointed at the rat.

"I did the first thing that came to my mind," he explained, sheepishly. Severus pointed his wand at the rat, changed her back into human, and put the Leg-Locking Curse on her.

"One hundred points from Slytherin, and detention every night for you, at the very least. Headmaster?"

Everyone was surprised when they saw the glare in Dumbledore's normally sparkling eyes as he looked at Pansy.

"Miss Parkinson, how could you possibly do something so cruel?" he asked her. He held up his hand as she opened her mouth. "No, don't answer that. We are going to my office, and I will decide the best course of action." Dumbledore led Pansy, no longer leg-locked, out of the Hall, just as Lupin rushed over to Severus, Draco, and Harry.

"One of the students told me what happened," Lupin said, kneeling down on the floor. "How is he?"

"Remus, help Draco take Harry downstairs," Severus instructed him. "I'm going to go discuss some things with Albus and¼Miss Parkinson."

"Sev, don't be gone too long, all right?" Draco said, looking up at Severus. The professor sighed when he saw the worry in the boy's eyes.

"I'll be back before you know it," he assured him. He reached over to gently squeeze Draco's shoulder, then Harry's hand. Then he headed back upstairs.

"Draco, can you let go of Harry, please?" Lupin asked, gently. "I'll carry him downstairs." Draco allowed Lupin to lift Harry up, but as soon as he was secure in the professor's arms, Draco grabbed the boy's hand tightly.

Once they reached Severus's chambers, Draco spoke the password and the door opened. He led Lupin to the boys' bedroom, and the professor lowered Harry to his bed. The boy was no longer crying, but he was frighteningly silent. He immediately lay on his side, facing the wall. Lupin pulled the blanket out from under Harry and covered him with it. Harry didn't acknowledge either Lupin or Draco when they spoke to him, and he kept his eyes fixed on a spot on the wall. He didn't even blink.

"Harry, please say something," Draco pleaded, softly. He sat next to Harry on the bed, gently rubbing his back. "We need to know that you're okay." No words were spoken by the other figure on the bed. Lupin motioned for Draco to come out of the room with him.

"Just give him some time, Draco," Lupin advised. "He just lost the one thing that probably meant more to him than anything else in the world. It's understandable that he's so upset." The two sat at the dining room table, and Draco folded his arms across his chest, frowning.

"I'm supposed to take care of him," he murmured. "I should have stopped her. If I stopped her before she threw everything in the fire, they'd still be ripped up, but at least they could have been fixed."

"Nobody ever said that you're supposed to take care of Harry, Draco. You're a good friend to him, and that's good, but we, the teachers, are the ones who are supposed to take care of him."

"He's more than a friend to me," Draco sighed. "He's like a brother. And older brothers protect the younger brothers¼" Lupin patted Draco's hand, comfortingly.

"Well, you're doing a good job so far, but you can only protect him so much. Don't worry; he'll be fine. If I'm not mistaken, those pictures can be fixed, even if they're ashes in the fire. And I know that Severus is going to make this Christmas great for the two of you." Draco sighed.

"I hope you're right," he said. He changed the subject. "What do you think Sev wants to do with Pansy?"

"Last time she did something to Harry, throwing his past in his face and such, Severus came to me and told me that if she does anything else, says anything else, to either one of you, he's going to make sure she's expelled." They heard the door open. "Speaking of Severus¼"

"Is he all right?" Severus wondered, his expression full of worry as he came into the room.

"He won't talk. He won't do anything. He's in bed, staring at the wall." Draco looked up at Severus. "What's happening with Pansy?"

"She's going to be expelled," Severus replied. "Dumbledore agreed with me that all the things she's done to Harry are cause for expulsion. Draco, I know you have homework to do. Why don't you go work on that for a while? I need to speak with Remus." Draco nodded and went to the living room, to work on his homework.

"Draco thinks of Harry as a younger brother," Lupin told Severus. "He thinks that it's up to him to protect Harry and take care of him."

"Well, he's done a damn good job, hasn't he?" Lupin nodded his agreement. "I need to do something about the pictures. I have an idea, but I could use your help." Severus told Lupin of his plan.

"You know it won't be the same, Severus. I'm sure Harry will like it, but it won't be the same." Severus nodded.

"I know. Will you help me?"

"You know I will."

~~~

****

Tuesday, December 21, 1993

"Harry," Severus said from the doorway of the bedroom the next afternoon. The boy hadn't moved an inch since the day before. "Come on, you can't stay like this forever. I know you're upset, but I have something for you that might make you feel better." _I hope¼_

Still, Harry didn't speak a word, and he didn't move. Severus sat on the bed and reached a hand out to touch the boy's face. He didn't even flinch at the touch.

"Harry, please. We hate seeing you like this. Please, just come out here for a few minutes. If you don't like what you see, then you can come back in here. All right?"

When Harry still didn't reply, Severus sighed and lifted the boy up. Harry didn't even struggle to get down as Severus carried him out to the sofa. Severus placed Harry on the couch, then sat next to him, wrapping an arm around his shoulders. Lupin and Draco were both present, and Lupin handed a book to Severus, who showed it to Harry. Severus opened the book, and in it were many pictures of James, Lily, and Harry Potter. Some of them were the same as the ones that had been burned, and there were also many new ones. Harry slowly reached a hand out to touch a picture, then looked up at Severus with tears in his eyes.

"How-" Severus smiled and shook his head.

"They're not the pictures that got burned," he explained. "Over the years that your mother and I were friends, she sent me hundreds of pictures; even more after you were born. I've kept every single one. Last night, Remus helped me put this together for you; he even threw in a few of his own pictures. Consider it an early Christmas gift. I couldn't stand seeing you so upset, so¼here it is."

"Thank you¼" Harry murmured, turning the pages and looking at the pictures.

"Do you feel better now?" Draco asked. Harry nodded his head.

"A lot better." Suddenly a thought came to his mind. "What happened to Pansy?" Draco snorted, laughing.

"I turned her into a rat. Seriously, I did. But then Sev and Dumbledore came down, turned her back, and expelled her."

"We thought that her actions in the past few months have been completely unjustifiable," Severus confirmed. "She's been expelled."

"I, personally, think that she should have to apologize to Harry in front of the entire school before she leaves," Draco commented. 

"As long as she's leaving, I don't care," Harry replied.


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize.

~~~

****

Saturday, December 25, 1993

"Harry! Wake up, it's Christmas!"

Draco shook Harry awake, then ran into the living room. Harry yawned, rubbing his eyes, and dragged himself out of bed. Wrapping a small blanket around himself, he made his way into the living room, where Draco and Severus were waiting for him. Severus smiled at the sight of Harry's unruly hair, sticking up in the air. Harry ignored the pile of presents in the floor and lay down on the sofa, with his head in Severus's lap.

"What time is it?" Harry grumbled.

"Almost nine," Severus replied, amused. "Late night, Harry?" He knew that Harry had stayed up late, waiting for the owls to bring in the gifts. He knew because he'd been the one to put Harry to bed at five o'clock that morning.

"Pillows aren't supposed to talk, so shut up," Harry muttered, punching Severus's leg. The boy crawled off the couch and sat on the floor, sleepily rummaging through the presents. "Severus, Draco, Draco, Severus¼ All right, where are the important ones?"

"Here's a whole pile for you over here, Harry," Draco said. 

Harry moved to sit by Draco and saw that the presents in the pile were from the Weasleys and Hermione. From Hermione, he got a book, of course; Ginny Weasley got him some Quidditch figurines; Ron gave him candy from Honeydukes and a poster of Harry's favorite Quidditch team; the twins sent a supply of their newest tricks from Weasley Wizard Wheezes, along with a description of what each trick does.

"Oh, yes, thank Merlin for Mrs. Weasley," Harry said, suddenly, as he opened a package containing another knitted sweater. He immediately pulled the sweater on, snuggling up to its warmth. "If I didn't get one of these every Christmas, I swear, I would pay over five hundred galleons for it."

"You seem to have woken up quickly," Severus said, laughing at him.

"Why aren't you opening your presents?" Draco wondered.

"When the two of you are finished, I'll open mine," Severus promised. 

The next half hour was filled with "oohs" and "ahhs" and comments like "that's bloody amazing." Finally, all of the presents were opened, and the wrapping had been cleaned up. Well, almost all of the presents were opened.

"I have one more surprise for you two," Severus said. "Sit right there. I'll be right back." He left the room and returned a few moments later with two small folders. He handed one to each boy. "Open them. I probably should have asked you both first, but I wanted it to be a surprise, and-" He was cut off by the two boys jumping on him and hugging him tightly.

The folders contained the future of the boys. The folders gave them a sense of security, a sense of family.

Those folders contained adoption papers for Draco Malfoy and Harry Potter, signed by Severus Snape.

~~~

After breakfast, the new family went up to the Great Hall. There they met teachers and students, but specifically, Lupin. He came up to them, holding a small carrying case with bars on the opening. He handed it to Harry, who looked up at Severus.

"You told me a while ago that when you were in school, you had a black cat who died," Harry said. He handed the case over to Severus. "Professor Lupin has been keeping an eye on your present for me."

Severus opened the case and pulled out an adorable black kitten. He smiled as the kitten seemed to take an immediately liking to its new owner. Then he gave Harry a hug.

"Thank you, Harry." Draco reached up to scratch the kitten's head as it snuggled up against Severus's chest.

"Aw, it's cute."

"It's a girl. What are you going to name her?" Harry asked.

"I think I'll name her¼"

"Lily." Lupin, Draco, and Severus spoke it all at the same time. They all laughed a little.

"Lily," Severus repeated, smiling sadly. 

The four of them sat down at the table and were soon joined by Dumbledore.

"Merry Christmas!" he greeted them, cheerfully. "Oh, Severus, lovely cat you have there." He winked at Harry. "And thank you, Harry, for the socks." Harry laughed.

"You're welcome, sir." Dumbledore sat down with them.

"So, boys," he said to Harry and Draco. "What was your favorite present this year?" Harry and Draco glanced at each other, then at Severus, before finally looking back at Dumbledore, whose eyes were twinkling knowingly.

"A family," they agreed.

"Severus? What was your favorite?"

"I'm not sure, I kind of like this cat," Severus replied, seriously. He smiled when the boys hit him. "I'm only joking! My favorite presents are my sons." He hugged both of them tightly.

"And Remus?"

"I like all my gifts," Remus replied. "I don't have a favorite."

"What was your favorite, Headmaster?" Draco wondered. Dumbledore thought for a moment.

"I received a very lovely flower this morning," he said, thoughtfully. "Blue, with just a tiny bit of red. It's sitting on my desk, and the best part of it is, it will never die!" Everyone just laughed at him.

Late that night, Harry stood in the doorway to Severus's bedroom. The boy was dressed in the new pajamas that Severus had bought him for Christmas; they were red and yellow, with a Gryffindor Lion on the back.

Harry watched silently as Severus lay on his bed, parchment strewn all over the blanket. He made marks and wrote comments on the parchments with his quill, barely pausing to read.

"I may not be looking at you, but I know you're there." Severus's voice suddenly rang through the room. He glanced up at Harry. "Is something wrong?"

"I can't sleep," Harry said, quietly. He fidgeted with with the hem of his pajama top as he looked at his new father, who proceeded to clean up the parchment and put it on his bedside table.

"You don't look so good, Harry. Come here." Severus patted the mattress, and Harry climbed up next to him.

"I don't _feel_ so good," Harry sighed. "And I'm tired, but I can't sleep." 

"Do you want some sleeping potion?" Severus asked, feeling Harry's forehead. "You don't have a fever."

"No, I don't like sleeping potions..." Harry mumbled. He leaned in against Severus's side, closing his eyes. "Where's Lily?" 

"Sleeping with Draco," Severus replied. "Are your friends coming back tomorrow?"

"Hermione is," Harry yawned. "The Weasleys are...staying in Romania for another day or so..." He groaned. "I ache all over... My muscles are sore."

"That happens sometimes, when it's cold," Severus told him, gently rubbing his back. "I'd tell you to take a warm bath, but you might fall asleep in there." Harry snuggled up closer to his father. "Come on, Harry, you need to sleep. I'm going to get you some potion. Just for tonight, all right?"

"Fine," Harry sighed. He went back to his bed, curling up under the blanket, and Severus soon brought in a vial of Sleeping Potion.

"Drink up... There you go." Severus leaned over and kissed his son's forehead. "Goodnight, Harry."

"Night, Dad..." Severus then went to Draco's bed and kissed his forehead as well.

"Goodnight, Draco," he whispered. Draco just gave a content sigh. Then Severus scratched the cat's head. "Goodnight, Lily."

~~~

"_DAD_!!!"

Severus rushed into the boys' bedroom around three-thirty that morning. He found Draco sitting on Harry's bed, hugging the younger boy tightly. Harry had his arms wrapped around his older brother's waist, holding on for dear life, and Severus could hear the shaking in Harry's loud breathing.

"He had another nightmare," Draco explained, tiredly.

"Thanks, Draco. I'll take over from here. Go back to bed." Draco obeyed, and Severus took his place. He brought Harry into his lap, rocking him gently and trying to get him back to sleep.

"It-- It hurts to see in my dreams, what they did to me," Harry whispered, nestling his face in his father's chest. "It hurts almost as bad as when they did it... Like they were doing it all over again."

"Tell me what you saw, Harry," Severus whispered back, running his fingers through the boy's hair.

"They sent me up to Dudley's second room..." Harry sniffled and wiped his eyes. "I don't know what I did wrong, but it was Dudley's turn to punish me... They locked me in there with him and there were all kinds of things in there... Baseball bats...whips...chains...a bed... He chained my ankles and my hands to the posts of the bed; I was face-down. I couldn't fight him... I just let him do what he wanted to me... He did all kinds of things to me. Beat me...raped me... I thought he was going to kill me. I was only in there a few hours, but it felt like days. And I didn't scream. And I didn't cry..."

"You can cry now, Harry, you can cry as much as you want," Severus told him. 

"I don't want to," Harry sighed. "I hate crying..."

Suddenly, Severus pulled out his wand and pointed it at the middle of the floor. Immediately a rocking chair appeared. Severus sat down in it, holding Harry tightly in his lap.

"When I was a child," Severus said, softly, "my mother would do this, the nights that my father was gone. Whenever I had a nightmare, or right after I'd been beaten, she would come into my bedroom and sit with me in a rocking chair, to calm me down. She'd tell me about her day, or stories about when she was younger. She'd give me a chance to say anything I wanted to say."

"Why didn't she take you away from him?"

"I'm not really sure, but I know that she had her reasons. I'm actually grateful that she didn't take me away so soon. If she had, then I wouldn't have become friends with your mother. I wouldn't have become the person I am now. And I probably wouldn't have two sons right now. I suppose everything happens for a reason."

"Where is your mother now?" Harry wondered, resting his head on Severus's shoulder.

"She passed away when I was ten years old," Severus told him, reaching his hand up to gently stroke the boy's hair. "I think you would have liked her, Harry, if you'd been able to meet her." Harry didn't reply. "Do you want to go back to bed now?" 

Harry nodded, and Severus tucked him into his bed. Lily the cat jumped up onto Harry's bed and licked his face before curling up next to him. Harry gave a content smile as he fell asleep.


	13. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize.

~~~

****

Monday, December 27, 1993

"Harry, Draco!"

The boys turned to find the owner of the voice in the Great Hall, and they grinned and waved when they saw Hermione running for them.

"How was your holiday?" she asked, giving each of them a hug.

"It was great," Harry replied. 

"Best Christmas I've ever had," Draco added. "How was yours?"

"Normal," Hermione said, shrugging her shoulders. "Did anything interesting happen while I was gone?"

"Pansy Parkinson got expelled," Harry told her as they walked to a table. "Draco turned her into a rat." They explained the situation with the photo album, and the story left Hermione both furious and amused.

"Let's see, what else?" Draco said, thoughtfully. "Well, we were both sick for a couple of days; Harry showed me that he's a really good cook; he can do magic without a wand. Oh, and we were adopted. Harry's my brother now." Hermione's mouth dropped open.

"_Adopted_?" she repeated. "By who?"

"All right, we'll tell you, but you can't tell anyone yet!" Harry warned her. "Dumbledore's going to make some announcement the night everyone else returns." Hermione promised not to tell. "We were adopted by..."

"Severus Snape," Draco finished, quietly, so that no one would hear. Hermione's eyes widened even more.

"So he's your father now? I can't imagine him being the father-type."

"He's really great, Hermione, he is." Harry laughed a little. "I'll admit, before this year, I never would have thought of him as someone who could be a father. But over the months, he's really been showing that he cares, and he's been taking care of us. You know what really made me think of him as my father? It wasn't the papers or anything. It was when he sat with me in a rocking chair at three-thirty this morning, after I'd had a nightmare, and he stayed until I was asleep."

"He's been taking care of us when we're sick. He lets us talk about things, and he helps us deal with it because _he knows_ what we're going through. Even if he hadn't adopted us...I think I would still think of him as a father to me."

"Well, I'm happy for you all," Hermione said, sincerely. "I'm happy you now have a family who cares." She grinned. "Now, what's this about magic without a wand, Harry?" The boys laughed.

"We sat down to eat dinner after I made it one night, and I forgot the honey. So I just snapped my fingers, and it appeared. Dad did the same thing after dinner. He snapped his fingers and everything was cleaned up."

"It was bloody amazing," Draco told Hermione.

"I'd like to see it sometime," Hermione commented. She looked at her watch. "I need to go upstairs for now and put my things away. I'll see you two later!"

~~~

****

Sunday, January 2, 1994

"Welcome back, students!" Dumbledore announced the night that everyone was back in the school. "I hope that you have all had a good holiday. I have one announcement to make, and then the feast will begin.

"On Christmas Day, one of our teachers became a father. Professor Snape, our Potions master, adopted two boys whom he has grown to care a great deal for. Will those boys please stand up?"

Glancing at each other, then at Severus, who gave them a reassuring smile, Draco and Harry rose from their seats. A gasp sounded through the hall, and the students began chattering to each other, pointing and staring. Feeling self-conscious, both boys quickly sat back down.

"Professor Snape gave Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy what they've needed most these past few months: love. On Christmas Day, he took that a step further. He gave them a family for Christmas. I hope that you are all as happy for them as I am. And now, let the feast begin!"

Dumbledore waved his arm, and the tables were instantly covered with all kinds of food. The students, and the teachers, began to eat.

"Harry! Why didn't you tell me?!" Ron exclaimed, accusingly. Harry shrugged his shoulders.

"I wanted it to be a surprise," he said, quietly. Ron sighed, shaking his head, and went back to his food.

"Couldn't even tell his best friend..."

"I think it's great, Harry," Ginny said, shyly, from her seat next to Hermione.

"Thank you, Ginny," Harry said. He rested his elbow on the table, propping his head up with his hand as he looked away from Ron. Sighing quietly, he poked at his food with his fork.

"Are you still going to live in the Tower?" Seamus asked. Harry nodded.

"For the most part," he replied.

"Snape's probably going to take it easier on the two of you in Potions," Dean commented, frowning. Harry shook his head.

"He's already told us that he's going to treat us exactly the same as he treats everyone else. We still have to call him 'Professor' in classes and stuff. He's going to grade our papers the same. If he takes it easier on us, then you should be happy, because he'll take it easier on everyone else, too."

Suddenly, Harry heard a tiny whine coming from the floor. Looking down, he saw Lily staring up at him. Giving her a small smile, he lifted her up to hold her to his chest.

"How did _you_ get here?" he asked her, giving her a tiny bit of food.

"Aw, where did the cat come from?" Parvati asked, reaching across the table to scratch Lily's head.

"I got her for Dad for Christmas," Harry responded. 

Ron mumbled a few derogatory comments, and Harry inhaled sharply when he heard them. An angry look took over his face.

"And you were wondering why I didn't tell you?" Harry exclaimed. "That's exactly why! I _knew_ how you'd react when you found out! You think what you want about him, Ron, but don't ever assume that you really know him and know who he is, because _you don't_."

"Harry, where are you going?" Hermione asked, concerned, when Harry stood up without finishing his food.

"I'm going to bed," he replied, cradling Lily in his arms. "Goodnight." He went up to the High Table and stood in front of his father, who was speaking with Lupin.

"Dad, I'm going upstairs. Can I keep Lily tonight?"

"Sure you can," Severus agreed, reaching over to stroke Lily's fur. He noticed the furious look on Harry's face. "Is something wrong?"

"Ron," Harry sighed. "We had a little fight, but it's nothing I can't handle."

"If you say so. Bring Lily downstairs when you get up tomorrow." Harry nodded.

"Goodnight, Dad."

"Goodnight, Harry. And if anyone says anything that bothers you, ignore it, all right?"

"All right."

Harry went up to Gryffindor Tower and placed Lily on his bed. He then changed into his pajamas and grabbed a Muggle book that he'd been reading, then went back to the bed and lay down under the blankets, after drawing the curtains.. Lily crawled onto his chest and curled up, while Harry began to read Leaves of Grass, a collection of poetry by a Muggle poet called Walt Whitman.

**__**

To think of time....To think through the retrospection,

To think of today..and the ages continued henceforeward.

Have you guessed you yourself would not continue? Have you

dreaded those earth-beetles?

Have you feared the future would be nothing to you?

Is today nothing? Is the beginningless past nothing?

If the future is nothing they are just as surely nothing.

To think that the sun rose in the east....that men and women

were flexible and real and alive....that everything was real

and alive;

To think that you and I did not see feel think nor bear our part,

To think that we are now here and bear our part.

"Oi, Harry!" Peering out from behind his curtain, Harry saw Fred and George in the doorway.

"Quidditch practice tomorrow night?" George asked. "Seven o'clock?"

"All right," Harry agreed. "See you then." The twins left, and Harry pulled the curtain shut again, then pulled out his wand. "_Silencio_," he said, quietly, before returning to his book. He knew that he would soon be asleep, no matter how hard he tried to stay awake. If he had a nightmare... He didn't want to wake anyone up again.


	14. Chapter 14

Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize.

~~~

****

Monday, January 3, 1994

"Good morning, Dad," Harry said when he saw his father sitting at the dining room table, eating breakfast and reading the _Daily Prophet_. Harry sat in the chair across from Severus's, holding Lily in his arms.

"You're up early," Severus commented. "Class doesn't start for another two hours." Harry shrugged his shoulders, not answering. "What happened between you and young Mr. Weasley last night?"

"He got mad because I didn't tell him," Harry muttered. "And he said some things about you that I wish he hadn't, and that I'm not going to repeat. So _I_ got mad and told him that _that_ was the reason why I didn't tell him: because I knew exactly how he would react. And I told him that he shouldn't assume that he knows you and who you are, because he doesn't."

"Harry, I know what the students say about me. I know what they think of me. And I've learned to ignore it. You need to learn that as well. If somebody says something about me, you don't have to defend me, because you know for yourself who I am. That's all that matters. It doesn't matter what anyone else thinks." 

"I know," Harry sighed.

"I trust you didn't have any other problems with other friends after the announcement?"

"I didn't talk to many people. You know Hermione's happy about it; so's Ginny Weasley. Dean thinks you're going to play favorites in Potions. Parvati likes the cat. Seamus wondered if I was still going to live in the dorms. Fred and George didn't seem to care one way or the other. Oh, by the way, the twins told me last night that we're having Quidditch practice tonight."

"It's been snowing more, Harry."

"I'll dress warmly, and I won't stay out too long." It was more of a question than a statement.

"McGonagall's going to supervise?" Severus asked. 

"Of course."

"All right, then. But if you get sick out there, then you're not playing any more Quidditch until it's warmer."

"Sounds fair to me." He changed the subject. "Have you talked to Draco since the announcement?"

"All he said to me last night was 'goodnight' and 'I'll see you tomorrow.' Apparently, the majority of the Slytherins shunned him. Miss Parkinson's expulsion was a factor in that as well."

After breakfast in the Great Hall, Harry went to the Potions classroom, where Draco was sitting at his desk, reading from his textbook. Severus wasn't in the room yet. Harry pulled a chair over to his brother and sat down with him.

"You all right?" Harry asked. Draco glanced up at Harry and smiled a little.

"Just fine. You? I saw you storm out of the Great Hall last night."

"Ron pissed me off," Harry replied, shrugging his shoulders. "I talked to Dad this morning when I was taking Lily downstairs. He said you had a bit of trouble with the Slytherins." Draco laughed, bitterly.

"Let's just say that I'm probably going to be spending more nights in the dungeons than in my tower," he said. "I have absolutely zero friends left in my house, not that I really liked any of those prats anyway." He took notice of the dark circles under his younger brother's eyes. "You look like shite. What's up? Did you have another nightmare?" Harry nodded his head.

"Lily woke me up before it got too bad, and I'd put the Silencing Spell around my bed, just in case. But I didn't sleep too well after that." Draco narrowed his eyes.

"You shouldn't put the Silencing Spell on," he said. "What if Lily wasn't there to wake you up, and it got _really_ bad? Nobody would have been able to hear you and wake you up."

"I don't want to wake people up," Harry mumbled. "When they find out about my nightmares, they treat me differently, and I hate it when they do that." 

"Harry," Draco said, seriously, as he rested a hand on the younger boy's shoulder. "If it came down to choosing between people treating you differently and the chance of you _dying_ in the middle of the night¼ I'd rather have people treat you differently."

"I won't _die_ in the middle of the night, Draco," Harry sighed, rolling his eyes as he stood up. He went across to the table on the other side of the room and sat down with his own book.

"How do you know that?" Draco asked. "If you stop breathing in the middle of the night, like you have done _several_ times in the past few months, _you will die_ unless your nightmare wakes someone up!" He sighed, shaking his head as he stared at Harry. "Dad and I don't want that to happen, Harry." When Harry didn't answer, Draco changed the subject. "You told Dad, didn't you?" At that instant, Severus entered the room.

"Told Dad what?" he asked, sitting at his desk.

"Harry had-" Draco suddenly found himself unable to open his mouth to speak. He glared at Harry, who was smirking. 

"If you _must_ know, I wrote it down, like he _asked_ me to, and I'm going to show him tonight. Is that all right with you?" Severus pointed his wand at Draco and un-did the spell.

"Dad-and don't even say I can't call you that because class doesn't start for another five minutes-Harry's been putting Silencing Spells around his bed so he doesn't wake people up when he has nightmares." Severus looked at Harry, who was fidgeting with his wand.

"Is that true, Harry?" The boy nodded his head, not looking at his father. "That's not a very smart thing to do, you know that." Severus sighed as students began to enter the room. "We'll talk about this later." As an afterthought, he added, "_Before_ Quidditch practice."

"Thanks a lot," Harry muttered, glaring at Draco.

"What's up?" Hermione asked Harry as she sat next to him. Harry's angry expression saddened when he noticed that Ron was sitting with Neville.

"Nothing," Harry sighed, watching as Ron made sure that Harry knew he was ignoring him. Hermione rested a hand on his shoulder.

"Don't worry about it, Harry," she said, softly. "He'll come around. And if not, well¼ It's his loss."

"Thanks, 'Mione," Harry said, quietly. 

"Today you will be brewing the Truth Potion. It is similar to Veritaserum, though the side effects of the Truth Potion are less severe than those of Veritaserum. The Truth Potion also doesn't last as long as Veritaserum. You will be making this potion with partners." 

He assigned the partners, pairing up all the Slytherins, except for Draco. He then went through the Gryffindors and paired them up, leaving Ron, Harry, and Hermione.

"Miss Granger, you will be with Mr. Malfoy. That leaves Mr. Weasley and Mr. Potter."

Hearing that, Harry stared at his father. Severus ignored the glare and began to call out the ingredients and the recipe for Truth Potion. Harry heard Ron cursing under his breath. Harry quickly copied down what Severus was saying, as he knew that Ron wasn't paying attention.

Ron and Harry silently prepared their ingredients. Harry sliced up some weed or another, while Ron peeled the newt's eyes. As they mixed the ingredients in their cauldron, Harry heard Ron muttering several negative comments under his breath. He recognized some curse words, as well as the terms 'miserable git,' 'freak,' and the phrase 'turn out as worthless as his father.'

At that moment, Harry stood up from his seat and silently left the room. Everyone stared after him, and Severus made his way out the door. He found Harry pacing in the hallway, his arms folded across his chest and an enraged expression on his face.

"Harry, what was that about?" Severus asked, sternly. Harry stopped pacing and stared up at Severus, his face red with anger.

"Why in the bloody hell did you have to put me with _him_?!" Harry hissed. His chest rose and fell with every deep breath he took. "I couldn't stay in there; if I did, I would have done something to him¼" He sank to the floor, leaning back against the wall, and closed his eyes.

"Harry, you know you can't just walk out of class like that," Severus said, firmly, kneeling down on the floor. "And I told you that you need to ignore what people say."

"You might be able to do that, but _I can't_!" Harry snapped. "When somebody insults someone I love, I can't just stand by and let it happen!" Severus took Harry by his shoulders and stared at his eyes.

"Sometimes you just _have_ to." 

Harry took deep breaths until he'd calmed down, and his face turned pale again; _too_ pale, in Severus's opinion. He took notice of the dark circles under the boy's bloodshot eyes.

"For Merlin's sake, Harry, have you been sleeping at all?!"

"Very little," Harry sighed.

"How much? In the past week, since Christmas, how much sleep have you gotten, Harry?"

"Maybe¼eight, nine hours?" Harry guessed. He shook his head. "I don't need to sleep¼ I can manage without it, I don't need it." 

"That's why you're about to drop from exhaustion. Stay right here." Severus went back to the classroom, where everyone was staring expectantly. "Get back to your potions _right now_." He then made his way back to Draco and Hermione.

"Is Harry all right, Professor?" Hermione asked.

"He'll be just fine, Miss Granger," Severus said in a quiet voice. "Draco, I need you to take Harry downstairs. Put him to bed and give him the Dreamless Sleep Potion that is in my lab. It's labeled, so you'll be able to find it easily, and the vial is small enough that he can drink it all at once. I don't care how much he protests; he _needs_ to drink it all. You and Harry will both have to make up this potion some other time."

"All right," Draco agreed.

"And stay with him until you're absolutely sure that he's asleep," Severus added as an afterthought. Draco nodded and headed out to the hall.

"What do you want?" Harry asked, miserably.

"Dad told me to take you downstairs," Draco replied, pulling his brother up from the floor. "Come on." Holding onto Harry's arm, Draco led the boy through the halls, while Harry struggled to get his arm free from his brother's grip.

"Let go," Harry pleaded, trying to wrench his arm away. That went on for a couple minutes before tears welled up in Harry's eyes and he spoke in a shaky whisper. "Draco, please let go of me."

Draco sighed and let go of Harry's arm. He turned around to look at the smaller boy, who was now holding onto his arm with his hand, and Draco's eyes widened when he saw the look of pure terror on Harry's face.

"Oh, Merlin, Harry, I'm sorry," Draco said, softly. "I'm so sorry, Harry, did I really hurt you?"

"It-- It doesn't really hurt that bad," Harry mumbled, quickly swiping at some tears that managed to escape from his eyes. "You just kind of..._scared_ me."

"I'm so sorry," Draco repeated, gently pulling Harry into a hug. "I didn't mean to scare you. Are you all right?"

"I'm fine," Harry whispered. "Just don't do that again..."

"I won't," Draco promised, rubbing Harry's back. "Come on, let's get downstairs."

"I don't want to sleep," Harry sighed once the two were in their bedroom. 

Draco made Harry lay down in his bed, then covered the boy with his blankets. Then Draco went into Severus's lab and found the tiny bottle labeled "Dreamless Sleep."

"I know you don't want to," Draco said, sitting next to his brother on the bed. "But Dad said you have to. You _need_ to sleep, Harry." He held up the bottle. "If you drink this, you won't have a nightmare while you sleep, so you don't have to worry about anything."

"When I was in the hospital wing, they gave me that, and I still had nightmares."

"This is stronger," Draco explained. "Dad's been trying to fix that problem, and he made it stronger. But you can't use it too often, so he's been saving it." Sighing, Harry took the bottle and drank it all at once, making a face as he did so.

"Tell him he needs to work on the taste," Harry choked out. Draco smiled.

"I will," he said as Lily jumped up onto the bed with them. She pressed her head against Harry's cheek, and he reached his hand up to scratch behind her ears. Draco headed for the doorway.

"Where are you going?"

Draco turned around to face Harry, who was watching him.

"I'm going to get something to eat."

"You heard me?" Harry asked, confused.

"Of course I heard you," Draco sighed, rolling eyes. "You were talking, weren't you?" Harry slowly shook his head.

"I was talking in my mind, and I was about to talk out loud, but you spoke first. You read my mind. That was bloody amazing, Draco."

"I didn't even know I could do it." Draco smirked. "Looks like you and Dad aren't the only ones with special power. You can do the finger-snapping thing, and I can get inside your mind." Harry smiled, tiredly.

"Are you staying?"

"Just until you go to sleep," Draco replied. "I'm going to grab something from the kitchen, then I'll come back in here." By the time he returned to the bedroom, his younger brother was fast asleep.


	15. Chapter 15

Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize.

~~~

"Class, Headmaster Dumbledore has asked me to teach you about something that is not supposed to be taught until your sixth year." Lupin stood in front of his class, Slytherins and Ravenclaws, looking at the students as he spoke. "He thinks that it would be wise for you all to know about the Unforgivable Curses. Three curses in particular are known as Unforgivable because using them on another human being can result in a life term in Azkaban. These three curses were used extensively by Voldemort's followers during his rise to power in the 1970s. Can anyone tell me about any of the curses?" A Ravenclaw raised his hand.

"The Imperius Curse," he said. "It causes the victim to be completely under the command of the caster, who can make them do anything they wish."

"Five points to Ravenclaw," Lupin said. "Anyone else?"

"The Killing Curse," said another Ravenclaw. "It causes instant death in a flash of green light. Harry Potter is the only person to ever survive it." Half the Slytherins rolled their eyes and yawned at this.

"Five more points to Ravenclaw. And the last of the three?" Draco slowly raised his hand, silently willing his voice to be steady as he spoke.

"The Cruciatus Curse," he said, quietly. "It causes the victim to suffer an..._intolerable_ amount of pain¼ Some victims of prolonged use of the curse have been driven insane."

"Five points to Slytherin. Now, obviously I cannot demonstrate these curses for you on humans. However; I have three spiders in a jar on my desk. I will show you the effects of each curse on these spiders, so that you know exactly what happens."

Lupin took out one spider and placed it on his desk. He proceeded to demonstrate the Imperius Curse by pointing his wand and saying '_Imperio_.' The spider began to scurry around the desk, crawling on top of things and jumping off.

"The Imperius Curse can be fought, but it takes a lot of strength of character. I will teach you how to fight it, but it has to come from within yourselves."

Lupin then made the second spider a little larger and demonstrated the Cruciatus Curse. The whole time the spider wriggled in pain, Draco stared at his desk, forcing himself to think of things other than the memories of when that curse had been used on him. Closing his eyes, he began to concentrate on Harry, trying to read his mind again. He was probably asleep, but one could never tell.

__

-Draco? Draco, help me!

Draco inhaled sharply, hearing his brother's voice in his head. The boy sounded scared and in pain. Draco suddenly jumped up from his seat and ran up to Lupin.

"Professor, something's wrong with Harry," Draco whispered, so that nobody else would hear. "I can read his mind, and I just heard him yelling for me to help him. He sounded really scared, and like he was in pain." Lupin took note of the panicked look in Draco's eyes.

"Where is he?" he asked.

"He's downstairs. Dad told me to take him down earlier, so he could get some sleep. But I gave him the Dreamless Sleep potion that Dad said to give him; he shouldn't be awake already!"

"Calm down, Draco," Lupin said, softly. As the other students were watching the scene curiously, Lupin took Draco out into the hall. "Talk to him. Ask him if he's still downstairs."

Draco took a breath and closed his eyes.

__

-Harry, are you still downstairs?

It took a moment, but then Draco heard a tiny voice say, _Yes. Help me, Draco, please!_

"He's still down there. I have to go help him, I have to see what's wrong."

"I'm coming with you." Lupin went across the hall to Professor Flitwick's class and asked the Charms teacher to keep an eye on the Defense class. Then Lupin and Draco began to run down to the Snape chambers.

__

-I'm on my way, Harry. Can you tell me what's wrong?

-It hurts all over, Draco, I'm scared. Hurry!

-Can you breathe all right?

-Yeah, but it hurts.

-Did you have a nightmare?

When Harry didn't reply, Draco started to run faster. Lupin put all his energy in his steps, just to keep up.

"I was talking to him, trying to find out what's wrong. I asked him if he had a nightmare, and he didn't answer." Draco explained why he'd picked up the pace.

As soon as they reached the chambers, Draco spoke the password, and the two ran through the doorway.

"Harry," Draco called, running for the bedroom. "Harry!"

The younger boy was still in the bedroom, yet no longer in bed. He lay curled up on the floor, tangled in his blankets. One arm was wrapped around himself, and his other hand was clutching his forehead. His entire body was shaking slightly. Lily stood next to Harry's head, mewing and nuzzling his cheek. Draco and Lupin rushed to kneel down by the boy.

"Harry? Harry, are you awake?" Draco asked, touching his brother's hair and face. He received no response.

"He's breathing," Lupin told Draco. "That's a good sign¼ Draco, I'm going to take Harry up to the hospital wing. Go up to your father's classroom and tell him what's going on, all right? Then come up to the infirmary." 

Draco nodded and began to run again. He stopped at the doorway to the Potions room, holding onto the door frame as he tried to catch his breath.

"Professor, Draco's at the door," George Weasley said. Severus turned and saw his distressed son in the doorway, and he immediately went over to him.

"Dad, something happened to Harry," Draco said. He quickly explained the situation, ending with, "Professor Lupin told me to come tell you while he took Harry up to the hospital wing. I'm worried, Dad, he sounded so scared and he looked like he was in a lot of pain!"

"Draco, calm down," Severus said, gently, as he placed his hands on the boy's shoulders. "First off, are you all right? You look like you're about to faint."

"I'm fine," Draco insisted, pushing Severus's hands away. "I just want to know what's wrong with Harry." Severus nodded and then turned to his class.

"I trust that you won't have a problem with my leaving for a while," he said. "I'm going to ask Professor Sinistra to keep an eye on you, so behave yourselves, or else." With that, he and Draco headed for the hospital wing, after stopping by Sinistra's classroom.

"Remus?" Severus said as he and Draco entered the infirmary. Lupin was standing by Harry's bed, watching as Madam Pomfrey carefully poured a red liquid into Harry's mouth.

"He just woke up," Lupin told Severus and Draco, who sighed with relief. "Poppy's giving him something for the pain right now."

"Has he said anything?" Severus wondered. Lupin shook his head.

Suddenly, they all heard Harry's quiet, raspy voice say, "Draco..." 

Draco made his way to the bed and sat next to Harry, who reached for his older brother's hand. Draco placed his hand in Harry's and felt a weak squeeze.

"You heard me..." Harry whispered. Draco nodded.

"What happened?" he asked, quietly.

"I think it was a nightmare... Everything was all mixed in... Lucius, you... Pansy, Ron... Everything... The Dursleys, Voldemort... Voldemort attacked me... The Dursleys attacked me... Lucius attacked you and I could feel everything... It hurt so bad..."

"Did your scar hurt?" Draco wondered. Harry nodded.

"Everything hurts," he murmured as Draco smoothed Harry's hair back.

"It will stop hurting soon," the older boy promised. "Dad's here. Do you want to see him?" Harry nodded, and soon Severus replaced Draco on the bed.

"How are you feeling, son?" Severus asked, softly.

"I don't know, Dad..." Harry admitted. "Feeling too much... It's all put together..." He smiled, weakly. "Should I assume...you won't let me...practice Quidditch tonight?"

"Your assumption would probably be right," Severus replied, smiling back. "But considering it's only one o'clock... We'll see how you're feeling later, all right?" Harry agreed. "If you can't practice, then maybe I'll take you out there just to watch. But like I said, it depends on how you're feeling." Severus then looked at Lupin.

"Thank you, Remus. You should probably get back to your class. You need to get back, too, Draco. I'll stay here with Harry for a while."

"Dad, can I stay here for a while?" Draco asked, quietly. "I already know more than I wanted to know about what Professor Lupin's teaching today." Severus glanced at Lupin.

"Albus asked me to teach them about the Unforgivables," Lupin said, softly. "I agree with Draco, he probably shouldn't come back to class. I was demonstrating the curses on some spiders, and he looked like he was going to be sick."

"He still does," Severus agreed, eyeing Draco's pale face and shaky hands. He also heard the boy's shallow breathing. 

"Stop staring at me," Draco mumbled, folding his arms over his chest. 

"Poppy, do you think you can see about Draco as well?" Severus asked after telling his oldest son to lay on the next bed.

"Of course, Severus," Pomfrey agreed as Lupin left. 

The medi-witch waved her wand over Draco and examined him for a few minutes. Then she checked his temperature. 

"He has a touch of the flu," she told Severus after a little while. "I'll give him some Fever Reduction Potion and a Sleeping Potion, and he should stay here for the night, at least." She helped Draco to drink the potions, and he lay down and pulled his blankets tighter around himself.

"Sleep good, Draco," Harry said, softly. "Feel better." The older boy barely heard him; he was already halfway asleep. "Dad, you're still going to stay, aren't you?"

"Of course I am," Severus assured him. He rested a comforting hand on Harry's cheek. "I'll stay as long as you want me to."

"I was hoping I wouldn't have to come back here for a long time," Harry sighed, smiling weakly. Severus smiled back.

"You always _have_ had a knack for getting stuck in here. I suppose we couldn't expect you to break yourself of that habit just yet." 

"Just make sure to keep me away from _him_," the boy said, pointing at his brother. "I'll have to stay in here even longer if he gets me sick." He laughed a little, shaking his head. "How many classes have I missed so far this year? It's got to be a record."

"Don't worry about that. You got all of your work made up, so I'm sure everything will be fine."

A while later, the door burst open, and the Weasleys, minus Ron, and Hermione came in. They stopped short when they saw both Harry and Draco on their beds, and Severus sitting in a chair between them, talking to Harry. Severus and Harry looked up when they came in.

"Harry, are you all right?" Ginny asked, concerned. "Fred and George said Draco came into their class and--"

"I'm fine," Harry cut her off, smiling tiredly. "I'll still be able to make Quidditch practice tonight..."

"He _might_ be able to make it," Severus corrected. He looked at Harry's friends. "It depends on how he's feeling by then." Fred and George nodded.

"Don't worry about it if you can't come, mate," Fred said to Harry. "It's not like you _need_ much practice." 

"Eh, I could always use practice," Harry replied, his cheeks turning pink.

"Is it all right if I ask what happened?" Hermione wondered.

"I had a nightmare," Harry sighed. "Draco's telepathic, and he heard me calling for help..." He didn't say anymore; he only closed his eyes and breathed lightly. It took everyone a few moments to realize that he'd fallen asleep. His friends turned to leave, except for Hermione, who hung back.

"Professor Snape, can I talk to you?" she asked, softly. Severus nodded. He leaned over to kiss Harry's forehead, then Draco's, and he left the room with Hermione.

"Is something wrong, Miss Granger?" Severus asked, seeing a sad look in Hermione's eyes.

"Sir, did Harry tell you what's been going on with Ron and him?"

"He said they had a fight over some things that Ron said about me, but that's all I know." 

"Ron's really angry that Harry didn't tell him about the adoption," Hermione said, quietly. "But Harry knew how Ron would react if he'd told him, and that's how Ron reacted when he found out... I haven't talked to Harry much since last night, but every time I've seen him, he looks so upset. He and Ron were best friends, and I hate it that they're fighting. It makes me feel like I'm caught in the middle.

"I agree with Harry, though; Ron's being completely childish. He only sees what you're like in the classroom. He's never seen you really interacting with Harry and Draco. _I_ have, and I see all the love that the three of you have for each other; especially the love you have for the two of them. I can tell that you care for them more than just about anything else in the world, and they _needed_ that.

"I just can't think of any way to make Ron understand it. He and Harry have been best friends since the day they met, and now it's about to be over, unless someone does something about it. I feel like I need to do something about it. Do you have any ideas?" Severus thought for a moment.

"All I can suggest," he said, "is to tell Ron exactly what you just told me. Aside from that, I don't know." Hermione nodded her understanding. "Miss Granger, Harry's lucky to have a friend like you. Ron is, too, but Harry... With everything that's happened this year, he needs all the love and care he can get, and you're giving him some of that." Severus smiled, sadly. "You remind me of an old friend of mine when I was a student here. She never once thought of herself, she was always helping me out when I needed her..." 

Hermione was silent for a moment, not wanting to disturb Severus's reverie. Then, suddenly, she stood on her toes and kissed his cheek. He turned to stare at her.

"Thank you for everything you've done for Harry, sir," Hermione said, quietly, with tears in her eyes. "He means a lot to me. Draco, too." With that, she ran down the hall.


	16. Chapter 16

Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize.

~~~

"Dad?" Harry mumbled as he slowly woke up. He glanced around the room, seeing nobody except for Draco, who lay still on his bed, his eyes closed.

"He's not here," Draco said, suddenly. He turned his head to look at his brother. "Madam Pomfrey said he'd be back around six to eat supper with us up here."

"What time is it now?" Harry wondered, turning over onto his side. 

"Almost six." At that moment, Severus came into the room. "Hi, Dad."

"Hi, Daddy," Harry yawned.

"Hi, boys, how did you sleep?" Severus asked, pulling a chair between the beds and sitting down.

"Fine," the boys answered in unison.

"Are you hungry?" Severus asked. He waved his wand, and a table full of food appeared in front of him. The boys sat up in their beds, hanging their legs over the sides. A plate was in front of each person. 

"Can I go to Quidditch practice?" Harry asked as they ate. "I feel a lot better." 

"We'll see," Severus replied. "I want to see what Poppy has to say. Draco, you're not eating much." Draco was taking very small bites and pushing his food around the plate with his fork. His elbow rested on the table, and his hand held his head up.

"I'm afraid my stomach won't keep much down tonight," Draco muttered. He pushed his plate away with a sigh. "I'm finished..." He lay back down on his bed. "I'm going back to sleep." He was out within a few moments.

"Poppy?" Severus called Madam Pomfrey over after they'd finished eating. "Harry says he's feeling a lot better, but I wanted your opinion before I tell him he can participate in Quidditch practice."

"He looks fine to me," Pomfrey declared after examining Harry. "I suppose he can participate, as long as he's careful." She gave Harry a pointed look, then looked at Severus. "Severus, perhaps you should supervise with Minerva, as well." Severus nodded his head.

"Come on, then, Harry," he said. The two of them went to get Harry's Firebolt broomstick, then headed out to the Quidditch pitch, where the rest of the Gryffindor team was already practicing. McGonagall was also there, keeping an eye on everyone.

"Harry, you made it!" Oliver Wood, the captain and Keeper, sighed with relief, as he ran over to Harry and Severus. He saw the broom in Harry's hand and gasped. "You got a Firebolt! Everyone, come look at this; Harry's got a Firebolt!" The rest of the team rushed over to admire the broom.

"Wow, Harry, where'd you get it?" Katie Bell asked, touching it lightly.

"Dad gave me and Draco each one for Christmas," Harry replied, shrugging his shoulders. "I haven't really gotten a chance to try it out yet; it's been too cold."

"Well, let's go, then!" Angelina exclaimed. They all mounted their brooms and soared up to the sky. Harry did some flips and dives, seeing how well his broom would maneuver. 

"He really is a fantastic flyer," McGonagall commented to Severus, who nodded his head in agreement as the Snitch was let loose, along with the Quaffle and the Bludgers. "How are things going with Harry and Draco, Severus?"

"Very well, Minerva, thank you," Severus responded. "We're all adjusting quite well. Draco has turned out to be an amazing older brother to Harry, though they're only a few months apart. The boys take care of each other when I'm not around¼ And I like to think that I'm a pretty good father so far."

"From what I've seen, you are," McGonagall agreed. She suddenly blew a whistle that hung around her neck. "Mr. Weasley, Mr. Weasley, please stop playing around with those Bludgers! You're going to get someone killed!" She sighed and looked back at Severus. "Those two are going to be the death of me." Severus chuckled.

"If you can survive James, Remus, Sirius, and Peter, you can survive anyone; even the Weasley twins." He changed the subject. "Minerva, I think Harry needs to spend a few nights downstairs in our quarters. I wish to be close by, should he have more nightmares. Aside from that¼I just need some time with him. I promised him that I'd take some time to tell him about Lily, and I think he could use a bit more happiness these days. He's still having some..._problems_. He's not dealing very well." McGonagall nodded her understanding.

"I'll let his friends know that he won't be spending his nights in the Tower."

"Don't bother with the younger Mr. Weasley," Severus sneered. "He and Harry had a falling out last night, and I don't think he would care very much if Harry stayed in the Tower or not."

"Yes, I noticed this morning that the two of them weren't speaking to one another. I'll just tell Miss Granger tonight, and one of Harry's dorm-mates." Severus nodded as Harry came to a landing next to him. The boy was smiling, although he was pale and shivered with cold.

"You're doing great out there, son," Severus said, ruffling Harry's hair. He then proceeded to tighten the boy's scarf, which had come untied.

"Dad, stop!" Harry whined, embarrassed as Severus pointed his wand at him and cast a Warming Spell.

"I'm not going to let you freeze, Harry," Severus replied, smirking. 

"We're almost done," Harry told him. "I just came down for a break. The Firebolt's great, Dad, it's got really smooth maneuvering, and the turns are so clean, and--"

"I'm glad you like it," Severus cut him off, smiling. "Go on, go finish your practice. You're staying downstairs for the next few nights, all right?" Harry nodded and then got back on his broom.

~~~

"Hi, Lily!" Harry said, picking up the cat as soon as he entered the Snape chambers. "Dad, I'm going to go change, and I'll be back out." 

He took Lily to the bedroom and set her on the bed, then changed into his warm pajamas. Then he went out to the living room, where Severus sat on the couch.

"So why am I staying here for the next few nights?" Harry wondered, laying on the couch with his legs stretched across his father's lap.

"I want to be near you if you have another nightmare," Severus explained. "And I was thinking we could spend some time together. I think Draco's going to be staying in the hospital wing for another couple of days."

"Okay," Harry agreed, yawning.

"Go on to bed," Severus told him. "You need it. Oh, and no Silencing Spells, all right? Please, Harry."

"All right," Harry sighed. "No Silencing Spells..." He stood up from the couch and headed for his room. "Goodnight, Daddy."

"Goodnight, Harry," Severus said, smiling.

Harry lay down in his bed, with Lily at his side, but he couldn't seem to get to sleep. Until nearly midnight, he tried whatever he could think of to get to sleep, but nothing worked. Counting hippogriffs (he made it to one thousand, two hundred and forty seven before he couldn't take it anymore); remembering one of Professor Binns' History of Magic lectures, word for word (funny, the lectures always seemed to be able to put him to sleep _in class_); he even put a spell on the ceiling to make it look like the night sky, and counted all the stars he saw (eight hundred and ninety three, though he may have counted some of them twice). But there was this nagging feeling in the pit of his stomach that kept him awake. Something was wrong. What was it?

Finally, Harry gave up. He climbed out of bed, wrapping his blanket around himself, and crossed the hall to his father's room. The door was closed, so Harry knocked. Receiving no answer, he opened it slightly and peered in. The sight he was met with shocked him.

His father was sitting in bed, staring at a piece of parchment in his hand as a single tear ran down his cheek. 

Harry opened the door a little wider, but Severus didn't take any notice of him. He only stared at the letter he'd just received. Harry made his way to the bed and climbed up next to his father, touching his shoulder gently.

"Dad? Are you okay?" Quite frankly, Harry was worried. He'd never once seen Severus cry, so this was a bit of a shock.

"Harry, I-I think you should read this," Severus said, quietly, as he handed the parchment to his son. 

****

To Severus Snape

From Lily Evans-Potter

To be delivered January 3, 1994

Dearest Severus,

If this letter has reached you, then something has happened to me, because I wanted to tell you in person. 

Severus, we spent nearly three years together. I loved you--and still love you--with all of my heart. When you told me that you were going on a special mission for Dumbledore, I was heartbroken. I knew that it would be dangerous for you, and I was afraid of losing you. The night before you left, we made it special. Do you remember? We made it special so that, if something were to happen, there would still be memories, and we wouldn't regret not expressing our love for one another when we had the chance.

The mission was supposed to take days. Days turned into weeks, and you still hadn't returned. Finally, I was informed that you had died on that mission. I died that day as well, Severus, and every day afterwards, I kept losing a little bit more of myself.

Then I discovered that I was pregnant.

James knew how people would react if they found out that "perfect" Lily Evans was unmarried and pregnant. He volunteered to marry me, to help me raise my child, to treat it as his own.

It wasn't until a few months after the baby was born that I found out you were alive. You saw James, Harry, and me, and I could see the hurt in your eyes. I wanted to tell you then, but I just couldn't. I'm so sorry, Severus.

But now I must tell you the truth. Harry is your son, not James's. When he was born, we put a charm on him that would make him look like James until you found out the truth. When this letter reaches you, the charm will begin to wear off. Harry will begin to look like you.

I loved James, Severus, but only as a friend. He helped me, and I'm grateful for that. But that's as far as it goes.

I'm sorry I didn't tell you before.

I love you, Severus, always and forever.

Love,

Lily 

When Harry finished the letter, he let it drop to the mattress. His eyes were wide with tears as he took deep breaths, and his hands were shaking.

"I-I...You..." Harry barely whispered, looking up at Severus. Breathing was becoming increasingly difficult, and his body was starting to shake even more. Severus broke from his shock and took Harry by his arms.

"Harry, Harry, calm down," Severus murmured, lowering Harry to the pillows and making him lay down. "Try to take deep breaths." 

He reached over to his bedside table and grabbed a vial of potion, quickly pouring it into Harry's mouth. Soon the shaking subsided, and Harry's breathing was becoming more regular. Severus covered Harry with the blanket and rested a hand on his forehead, smoothing the boy's hair down.

"I know it's a shock, Harry," Severus whispered, soothingly. "It was a shock to me, too... Are you all right?"

"You...and my mum..." Harry said, his voice quiet and weak. "You never told me..."

"I told you that I loved your mother, Harry," Severus replied. "I was planning on telling you more tomorrow night. Remember a while back, I told you I'd set aside a day, just to tell you about her?" Harry nodded. "I was going to do that tomorrow."

"Everything I've been told...about my parents... It's all been a lie. How I'm so much like my 'father' and all that... But he wasn't my father..."

"Harry, we-- We shouldn't talk about this now, all right? Tomorrow, I promise. I'll cancel all of my classes tomorrow. You just need to rest now. Do you want me to give you something to help you sleep?" Harry nodded his head, and Severus got him a sleeping potion. "You can sleep in here. I'll go out to the sofa--"

"Stay," Harry interrupted him, quietly. "Please?"

"Are you sure? I'll understand if you don't--"

"Stay," Harry repeated. 

Severus shut his mouth and nodded, laying on the other side of the bed. Harry crawled across the huge mattress and then lay back down, closer to his father, and laid his head on the older wizard's shoulder. Severus hesitated, then wrapped his arms around the boy in a hug.

"You're something else, Harry," he whispered. "If I were you, I'd hate me right now."

"You didn't know, either," Harry replied, wiping tears from his eyes. "I can't blame you..."

"Tomorrow, we'll visit Draco at mealtimes," Severus said, softly. "The rest of the day, it's just me, you, and your mother. Does that sound good?" Harry nodded. "Good."


	17. Chapter 17

Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize.

~~~

****

Tuesday, January 4, 1994

"What's this I'm hearing about you cancelling all your classes?" Draco asked at breakfast in the hospital wing. "Couldn't you wait until I'm out of here, so I could actually enjoy a free period? By the way, you both look like shite."

"Something..._unexpected_ happened last night," Harry said, quietly, sitting on a bed. "It turns out that Dad's my father." Draco raised his eyebrows.

"Harry, you just made it _really_ easy for me to insult your intelligence right now." Harry shook his head.

"No, no, I mean, he's my _real_ father. Not James." Severus handed the parchment over to Draco, who quickly scanned it.

"Wow," Draco said once he'd finished. "That's just...wow." He looked up at Harry. "Your hair's longer."

"Yeah, it is," Harry agreed, reaching up to touch the hair that now hung an inch or two past his ears. "My nose is changing, too."

"I feel bad for you on the nose deal," Draco said, sympathetically, as he looked at Severus's long-ish nose. "Too bad you couldn't have gotten your mum's nose."

"I take offense to that," Severus said, frowning at Draco, who grinned tiredly.

"That was the point," he replied. "Anyway, is this really going to change anything with you two, except for how Harry looks?"

"Between us, no," Harry replied. "But how about everyone else who thought James was my father? They're going to start asking all sorts of questions and just treating me and Dad weird when I suddenly start looking like him. And what about my name? I've been living for thirteen years thinking I'm Harry Potter. Everyone else in the wizarding world has spent the last thirteen years thinking I'm Harry Potter."

"Harry, James was your father for a year; you're still Harry Potter," Severus said, softly. "We can still hyphenate your name like we were going to. We'll just keep it Harry Potter-Snape, and only tell the truth to the people closest to us. Nobody else will have to know anything, and they won't ask any questions. As for your appearance... We can either replace the charm, or just tell people that you wanted to try something different with how you look."

"I don't want to replace the charm," Harry said, quietly. Severus smiled and squeezed Harry's shoulder.

"Everything will be all right, Harry," he said, reassuringly. "Later we'll decide on who we want to tell." Harry nodded his agreement. 

"Now that we got that all settled," Draco said, yawning as he lay down. "I love you both, but go away. I'm tired."

"Go ahead and get some more sleep," Severus said as he and Harry stood up. "We'll come back for lunch." Draco nodded and waved as his father and brother left.

~~~

"Your mother was an amazing person, Harry," Severus said, softly, as he and Harry sat on Severus's bed. "We were very good friends from our third year, but since she was a Gryffindor and I was a Slytherin, very few people liked the idea of us being friends. Still, that didn't stop us.

"Lily was also good friends with James and his group, Remus Lupin, Sirius Black, and Peter Pettigrew. James and Sirius didn't particularly care for me, and I felt the same about them. Remus was the only one out of that group who really gave me a chance. And then Peter... There was just something about him that I didn't like.

"I already told you about everything Lily did for me when she found out about my father, so I'll skip all of that. In our sixth year, your mother and I decided to pursue a romantic relationship. We were together almost three years--the best years of my life. I loved her with all of my heart; she was the reason I lived.

"When we were nineteen, I had to go on a mission for the Headmaster. The night before, your mother and I¼ Well, I'll assume that I don't have to explain that part. The next morning, I left with a promise to Lily that I'd be back. I don't even remember what the mission was for; all I remember is that I was gone a very long time, and I nearly died.

"Some time in September, after you were born, I found my way back. I don't know how, but I remember making it to Hogwarts and being taken up to the hospital wing. I stayed in there for several days, and then I was let loose. The first sight I was met with when I got out was James, Lily, and you. You were almost an exact replica of James.

"I was so angry when I saw. I thought Lily had betrayed me, turning to James right after I left. Then she saw me, and as soon as I saw the look on her face, I ran. I couldn't stand seeing her after that. She kept trying to contact me. I spoke to her a couple of times, but not enough to call it worth it. I saw her once.

"But even though I thought she'd betrayed me¼I still loved her. I could never stop loving her. And I never have." 

"Why did they say you died?" Harry wondered, laying against Severus's side. The older wizard wrapped an arm around the boy.

"I have absolutely no idea. The Ministry found that I'd been captured, injured... And apparently, that means I'm dead." Severus rolled his eyes. "As I lay, barely conscious, on the floor of some dungeon Merlin knows where, I tried my hardest to stay awake. I knew that if I didn't, then I wouldn't wake up at all. Lily was the only reason I made it out of there. All I thought about was her and the promise I made to her about coming home to her. We'd been planning on getting married as soon as I got home..."

"Dad? Are you sure you can talk about this?" Harry asked when he saw the expression on Severus's face and the tears in his eyes.

"Of course I can," Severus assured him. "I just haven't told anyone all of this before."

"Do you want to take a break?" Harry offered. "You don't have to tell me everything all at once." Severus sighed. "Dad, I know you didn't sleep well last night. Why don't you just take a nap for a while? I'll do some homework or something. Merlin knows I have enough, since you made me skip my classes yesterday."

"It was necessary," Severus said, defensively. At the look on Harry's face, he said, "Oh, all right. I'll take a nap, if it'll make you happy. Just wake me up if you need anything, all right?" Harry raised an eyebrow.

"Dad. I took care of myself for twelve years. I think I can manage a couple of hours."

"Of course you can," Severus agreed, smiling lightly. "Go on, get to your homework. Don't let me sleep too long." 

Harry left the room and shut the door. He grabbed a couple of books from his bedroom and took them to the living room, where he began to write essays. Soon after he began working, there was a call over the fireplace. Looking up, Harry saw Lupin's face.

"Hi, Professor," Harry greeted him.

"Hi, Harry, is Severus there?" Lupin looked a little anxious.

"Sorry, sir, Dad's taking a nap."

"Is he all right?"

"Yeah, he's fine. We just¼got a bit of a shock last night, and we were talking about it. He got a little upset, so I'm making him take a break." Lupin chuckled a little, though his amusement didn't reach his eyes.

"I wonder how you managed that," he said, smiling. "As far as I knew, nobody could make Severus Snape do anything." His face became serious. "Harry, when he wakes up, tell him I need to speak with him, all right?"

"Is anything wrong, Professor?" Harry inquired, concerned. 

"It depends on how you look at it. Just let him know. Thanks. Oh, and Harry? You look good, kid. Different, but good." With that, Lupin disappeared. Harry shrugged his shoulders and went back to his homework.

"_Describe, in detail, the twelve uses of Dragon's Blood."_ Harry murmured the words to himself. He grabbed his quill and some parchment and began to write slowly. His head began to drop, but whenever it did, he suddenly caught himself and tried to concentrate on the assignment. He was nearly asleep when he heard Draco's voice. Harry instantly picked his head up and looked towards the door, where Draco was standing.

"What are you doing here?" Harry wondered, rubbing his sleepy eyes as Draco went to the table, where his books sat.

"Don't worry, I'm not interrupting your time with Dad," Draco assured him. "I needed something to do upstairs, and I told Madam Pomfrey I feel good enough to come down and get my homework. Amazingly enough, she agreed."

"Dad's sleeping," Harry yawned. "I made him take a nap." Draco laughed a little.

"That's a first, someone making _him_ do something," he said. He made his way to the sofa and leaned over Harry's shoulder. "You haven't finished that yet?" Harry shook his head.

"Shouldn't take me long, assuming I stay awake," he replied. He glanced up at his brother. "You're feeling better, then?"

"Of course, I never stay sick for very long," Draco confirmed. "I'll be out by suppertime." He headed for the door with his books, but Harry's voice stopped him.

"Draco?" he said in a quiet, uncertain voice as he looked at the older boy. "Do I look weird?" He asked the question that had been bugging him for hours.

"You look _different_, Harry," Draco told him, gently. "It may look strange now, but keep in mind that the charms are still coming off. When the changes are over, everything will fit together, and it will be normal. It will take a little getting used to, I'm sure, but I reckon you'll look _damn_ good in the end. Hell, if I wasn't your brother, I might even say you'll look sexy." He grinned at Harry, who smiled back. "But Harry, remember: No matter how much bigger than me you get--and you know you will, because Dad's tall--you'll always be my little brother. Nothing will _ever_ change that. All right?" Harry nodded.

"Thanks, Draco," he said.

~~~

Around lunchtime, Harry opened his eyes to find himself stretched out on the couch and covered with a blanket.

__

How did I get like this? He wondered to himself, sleepily. He glanced around and saw Severus in the kitchen, pouring himself some tea. Then Harry saw that his textbooks and parchment were in a pile on the floor in front of the couch.

"Damn it!" he hissed, suddenly. "I didn't get _anything_ done." He proceeded to curse under his breath as he made his way over to his father, who was sitting at the table with the _Daily Prophet_. "Why didn't you wake me up when you saw me sleeping?"

"You're tired, Harry, and you were sleeping soundly," Severus responded, not looking up from the newspaper. "That's a rare occurrence anymore, so forgive me if I'd rather not spoil it. Besides, I've only been up for about twenty minutes." Harry dropped his head to his arms, which were folded on the table.

"Professor Lupin needs to speak with you," he told his father. "He called by Floo when you were sleeping."

"He can wait. I promised it'd be just you and me today." Harry shook his head as Lily jumped up onto his lap.

"It seemed very important. You talk to him now, and I'll eat lunch upstairs with Draco. We won't have much of the day to ourselves, anyway, because Draco's getting out by suppertime. He came down earlier to get his homework, and he told me."

"All right," Severus sighed. "I'll go see Remus; you go see Draco. I'll come back down here as soon as I'm finished." Harry nodded, lifted Lily to his chest, and left.

"Have you come bearing food?" Draco asked as soon as he saw his brother. "You've come bearing a kitten, but I see no food." He took Lily from Harry and sat back down on his bed.

"No matter," Harry replied. He snapped his fingers, and a table appeared, with two plates of food.

"Wandless magic is a very useful skill to have, I can tell," Draco told him as he quickly began to eat, pausing only to take a drink of his pumpkin juice or to give food to Lily. "Where's Dad?"

"Had to talk to Professor Lupin about something," Harry explained. "Don't eat so much, so fast. You'll just end up losing it all. I'm seriously about to lose my appetite."

"Then don't watch," Draco said, simply. He swallowed his food, then said, "Your hair grew again." It was true; the charm was wearing off quickly, and Harry's hair was now down to his shoulders, curled slightly at the ends. "I think I'm going to put a spell on my hair and make it grow out quicker. I hate having it short. Lucius and Narcissa wanted it short, and I never got around to changing it."

"Draco, I was thinking about what you said earlier," Harry said, suddenly. "About how if we weren't brothers, you'd said I'm going to look 'sexy.' And I've been wondering for weeks. Do you fancy guys?" Draco chuckled when Harry began to blush a little.

"Don't look so embarrassed," the older boy said. "Yes, I fancy guys, but I also fancy girls. I go both ways, though it's only physical attraction at the moment. I haven't had any real relationships yet; I haven't tried anything." He eyed Harry. "You fancy girls, yeah?" Harry nodded. "I know of a girl who likes you. She has for a while, I think. Ginny Weasley."

"How do you know she likes me?"

"I can just tell," Draco replied, shrugging his shoulders. "The way she looks at you, it's obvious to everyone _except_ you." He smiled. "She's a pretty one. I've always liked redheads, myself."

"She's a nice girl and all, but I only like her as a friend," Harry said. "I don't really like anyone in particular right now. Too much shite going on in my mind already without having to deal with _that_." He looked at his brother. "You like someone special?"

"I could only name a dozen," Draco laughed. "Wow, let's see... Fred and George Weasley, Oliver Wood--damn, that boy has a sexy accent... Um...To be honest, Harry, I really like Hermione." Harry's eyes widened, and he nearly spit out his food.

"You like _Hermione_?" he repeated after he'd calmed down. Draco nodded. "Well... I'll have to see what I can do about that, then."

"Would you?" Draco asked, hopefully.

"Of course," Harry said, smiling. "I think you two would be great together." Draco smiled, pleased that his brother would approve if he had a relationship with Hermione. "But you have to do me a favor, as well. You need to help me with my homework tonight. I fell asleep earlier, and I didn't get anything done."

"That's no problem, of course I'll help," Draco assured him.

"Hey, Draco?" Harry said, suddenly, after a few moments. "Since none of the Slytherins like you anymore, are you still going to play Quidditch?" Draco shook his head.

"I quit. I never did like it much, anyway. I think they replaced me with a second-year, but I don't care. Bunch of prats, if you ask me." Harry nodded his agreement. "I think I'm going to just move all of my stuff from my dorm to downstairs. I can't stay in there anymore. I mean, yeah, I'm still a Slytherin. I'll _always_ be a Slytherin. But that doesn't mean I have to _like_ the Slytherins. So I'll just spend my nights in the 'dungeons.' I like it better down there."

"I think I'll probably be staying down there until this whole situation with Ron is over... I don't know if it will ever be over." Harry's expression saddened.

"Come on, Harry, cheer up," Draco insisted, handing Lily over to the younger boy. "If he's willing to throw two and a half years of friendship away over something so trivial, like your wanting the adoption to be a surprise, then you're better off without him."

"I guess so," Harry sighed. He stood up, cradling Lily in his arms. "I'm going back downstairs. I'll see you later, Draco." 

"Harry," Draco said, softly, as he stood up. He took Lily and put her on the floor, then wrapped his arms around his brother in a tight hug. "Everything's going to be _fine_. All right? I promise you, things will be fine in the end."


	18. Chapter 18

Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize.

~~~

"What did Professor Lupin want to talk about?" Harry asked, not looking up from his homework as Severus came in.

"He knew that you've always been my son, and not James's. Your mother made him promise not to say anything to anyone until I got the letter."

"Who else knows?" Harry wondered.

"Only Lily, James, Sirius, and Remus knew," Severus said. "Sirius was your godfather. He...disappeared a couple of years ago. Nobody knows what happened to him. Remus just told me that Lily had asked him to be your second godfather, should something happen to Sirius. She didn't ask him in the first place because of a certain problem he has--"

"He's a werewolf," Harry stated, simply, still not looking up. "No, nobody told me. I figured it out myself." Severus nodded his head.

"Still, that's not a problem right now because you have me. So Remus doesn't have to take care of you, though he's still your godfather."

"Is that all?"

"Yes, it is. Oh, and Albus knew, also. And, outside of classes, Remus wants you to call him by his first name. None of that 'Professor' stuff, he said."

"Why didn't he tell me he was my godfather?" Harry asked, scrawling on the parchment with his quill. 

"I think he was just waiting for the right time," Severus explained. "And this was it." He changed the subject. "So how did you figure out his secret?" Harry rolled his eyes.

"I'm not completely dense, you know," he replied. "I read the signs. The things he uses that are normally silver were replaced with gold, because werewolves can't touch silver. He leaves around every full moon, and when he comes back, he's tired and sickly-looking, and he has more hair on his face. Plus, I've seen you making Wolfsbane Potion, and I know that that potion eases the transformation process. See, I'm not stupid. I can figure things out without being told."

"Who ever told you otherwise?" Severus wondered, concerned by the bitter tone in his son's voice. Harry looked up at him with sadness in his eyes.

"You." Severus sighed and sat with Harry on the sofa, touching his shoulder.

"Harry, I've told you how sorry I am for how I used to treat you. I've given you explanations as to why I treated you that way." He was about to say more, but Harry cut him off.

"That doesn't change the fact that it hurt, and the memories of everything you said to me are still in my mind. Yes, that whole situation is over now. Yes, I forgive you for it. But yes, it still hurt. And it doesn't help that you're still giving me horrible marks on my essays without telling me what in the bloody hell I'm doing wrong." He held up a piece of parchment with an eighty out of one hundred written on it.

"Do you have any idea how many straight hours I spent on this, only to get that grade? I spent _four hours_, practically nonstop, trying to get that essay perfect, and it was all in vain. Couldn't you at least write little notes or something so we know what we're doing wrong and can fix it the next time? We don't know what you're thinking any more than you know what we're thinking, Dad. For two and a half years, I've been trying to figure out why I haven't gotten above a ninety on my essays. I've tried everything I could think of to make them better, but I _can't_, and it's _frustrating!_" With that, Harry rested his elbows on his knees and placed his head in his hands, taking deep breaths to calm himself.

"First of all, Harry, you shouldn't be complaining about your grades because they're damn good."

"Not good enough," Harry mumbled.

"Second, I'll try to write notes on the essays and let everyone know what I think they're doing wrong. All right?"

"That's all I ask. How are we supposed to fix something if we don't know what's wrong in the first place?" Severus picked up Harry's essay on Dragon's Blood and read some of it.

"What your problem is, Harry, is that you don't explain yourself clearly when you're writing. I have difficulty following your train of thought, and while I can figure out what you're trying to say, sometimes it takes a while. I suggest that, the next time you write an essay, ask Draco or Hermione to read it, and see if it makes sense to them." Harry sighed and leaned against Severus, resting his head on the older man's shoulder.

"It's difficult, you know... Having your father and your teacher as the same person..."

"Yes, I would imagine it is," Severus agreed. "But son, don't think that I expect a lot from you in class or anything. Don't think that you have to work _too_ hard to make me proud of you. Because all I expect from you is the best you can do, and I'm already proud of you. All right?" Harry nodded, closing his eyes.

"Thanks, Dad, I needed that."

"Anything to help. I love you, Harry, and nothing will change that."

"I love you, too, Daddy..." They suddenly looked up when they heard someone clearing his throat behind them.

"Yes, I love you, too, Draco," Severus sighed, smirking. Draco looked at Harry.

"Oh, bloody hell, I guess I love you, too, Draco," Harry muttered, grinning. Draco smiled.

"I know," he said, nonchalantly. He climbed over the back of the sofa and sprawled himself across Harry's and Severus's laps.

"What are you doing here?" Harry wondered. "I thought you weren't supposed to be let out until supper." Draco shrugged his shoulders.

"I guess I was being a pain in the arse or something," he said, innocently. "Madam Pomfrey wanted to get rid of me."

"I can see why." Draco punched Severus in his arm for that.

"So I've been wondering about that letter you got last night," Draco said, suddenly. "Why did she pick January third to have it delivered? What's so significant about the date." Severus's cheeks began to turn pink, and Draco burst out laughing. "Wow, I've never seen you blush before, Dad, you look so _weird_!"

"And you think you don't?" Severus asked, an eyebrow raised. "You're nearly as pale as I am, so you're not one to talk, kid."

"You're stalling. What's the significance?" Harry was curious, as well.

"If you absolutely _must_ know, that was the night before I left on the mission for Dumbledore." He sighed at the blank looks on the boys' faces. "It was the night Harry was conceived, all right?" Draco and Harry laughed at him, and Harry counted on his fingers.

"January, February, March, April, May, June, July..." He looked up. "That's less than eight months."

"You were born prematurely," Severus explained.

"Oh."

"Hey, Harry?" Draco said, changing the subject yet again. "Remember earlier when you were talking about helping me with... You know?" Harry nodded, smiling at his brother's inability to be discreet. "Well, Dumbledore said we're having a Valentine's Day Ball next month. Unlike the Yule Ball, which is fourth-year and up, the Valentine's Ball is for everyone. So you should probably get on that soon, all right?"

"Yeah, all right," Harry agreed.

"So who's the girl?" Severus asked, suddenly. He looked at the boys knowingly. Draco glanced at Harry and winked.

"How are you so sure it's a _girl_, Daddy?" Draco asked, smirking.

"Because although it's so blatantly obvious that you like boys as well, you'd only ask Harry to help you out if it was a girl."

"You're not upset?" Draco said, his eyes wide with shock.

"Why would I be?" Draco looked at his hands and began to fidget with his fingers.

"It's just that, um... Lucius didn't like it when he found out. He, uh... He spent a lot of time demonstrating why it was wrong and disgusting and all that." Severus lifted Draco's chin with his fingers and looked into the boy's eyes.

"Draco. I'm not Lucius."

"I know, Dad, but--"

"No 'buts.' I'm not Lucius." He changed the subject. "So who's the girl?" He repeated. Draco smiled, blushing a little.

"Hermione."

"Harry, do you like anyone in particular?" Harry shook his head.

"The charms will probably be all worn off by the ball, Harry," Draco said. "You'll have plenty of girls wanting to go with you."

"Because of how I look?" Harry shook his head, frowning. "I don't like the idea of that... I think I might ask Ginny. _Just as friends_." He added the last part after he saw the smirk on Draco's face. "So what, exactly, do you wear to a wizard ball?"

"Dress robes," Severus replied. "We'll probably need to go to Hogsmeade and buy you some."

"Hey, Dad?" Draco said, changing the subject for the third time. "You're tall. You're muscular, kind of. How come Harry's scrawny? His size hasn't changed at all, while the rest of him has."

"Aside from being premature? Kids born prematurely are usually smaller. Still, I didn't start getting bigger until I was maybe fourteen or fifteen. So yes, Draco, you'll be the big brother for quite a while yet." 

"All right, well..." Harry stood up and began to gather his textbooks and parchment. "I can see that I'm not going to get this done right now. I'm going to put all my stuff away..." He headed for his room, leaving his brother and father to watch after him.

"Dad, is he all right?" 

"He's just really frustrated right now, Draco. He still has all that homework to do, plus everything that's been happening since last night, and his problem with Ron Weasley... Besides all that, he's now got Quidditch practice every night, except for Saturday and Sunday."

"He's going to--"

Draco was cut off by the sound of shattering glass, coming from the boys' bedroom. He and Severus glanced at each other and rushed to the room, stopping in the doorway. They found Harry on the floor, sitting against his bed and staring across the room. The mirror on the wall was completely shattered, and pieces of glass were all over the floor.

"Harry, are you--" Severus started.

"I'm fine," Harry interrupted him, not looking up. "Please, leave me alone." 

"Are you sure?"

"I'm fine," Harry repeated. He snapped his fingers, and the mirror was back to normal. "If you hear it again, don't worry about it."

"Couldn't you think of a quieter and less harmful way to let your frustrations out?" Draco wondered. Harry didn't reply. "All right, then." Draco and Severus left the room, and that afternoon, they heard the mirror shatter five more times.


	19. Chapter 19

Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize.

~~~

****

Friday, February 4, 1994

"Hi, Harry, Draco," Ginny Weasley said as the boys sat at the Gryffindor table for lunch.

"Hi, everyone," Draco said, cheerfully. Harry rolled his eyes at his brother's tone. 

"Hermione, do you have a date for the Valentine's Ball?" Harry wondered, smirking. Draco kicked him under the table.

"No, I don't," Hermione responded, slicing an apple.

"Will you go with Draco? He's too scared to ask you himself." Hermione glanced at Draco, whose face was turning pink as he tried to cover it with his hands.

"Sure, I'll go with you, Draco." The blond's head snapped up.

"You will?" His eyes were wide with surprise.

"Of course. Why wouldn't I?" She just smiled at him.

"Ginny, you have a date?" Harry asked, nonchalantly. To his dismay, she nodded her head.

"I'm going with Colin," she said. 

Hermione and Draco were the only ones to notice the look of disappointment in Harry's eyes. Draco placed a comforting hand on his brother's knee, and Hermione gave him a sympathetic look. Harry only gave them a tight-lipped smile, took a couple more bites of his lunch, and excused himself, heading for the dungeons. 

Once there, he went into his room, put a Silencing Spell around it, and screamed as loud as he could. He held a hand out towards the mirror, and it shattered. He then repaired it and broke it again, repeating this several more times before pointing his wand at a bookcase. Instantly, the books flew across the room, and he sent them back again. Deciding that it didn't have the same effect, he went back to the mirror. This time, when he shattered it, a piece of the glass flew and hit his cheek.

"Damn it," Harry sighed, wincing in pain. He examined the cut and cleaned it, then went to gather his books for his next class. When he left, he didn't notice Lily sitting on the table, watching after him.

He made it to the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom twenty minutes early. Unfortunately, his godfather was in the room already. Still, Harry walked past Lupin and went to his desk in the second row. After dropping his books on the floor, he sat back in his chair, folding his arms across his chest and staring at the wall.

"What's with the death glare, Harry?" Lupin—Remus—wondered. He came back and sat in the desk across from Harry's. Seeing the cut on Harry's cheek, he said, "Wow, what happened to you?"

"If you ever want to take out your anger on a mirror, I would advise against it," Harry muttered, staring straight ahead.

"I'll keep that in mind, thanks. Are you all right? Anything I can help you with?" Harry shook his head. "No, you're not all right, or no, I can't help you?"

"I'm fine, and no, you can't help."

"All right," Remus said, obviously not believing the boy. "Just remember that I'm here if you change your mind." With that, the older wizard stood and went to the door, greeting the third-year Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs who were entering the room.

"Hey, Harry, are you all right?" Hermione asked, sitting in her desk next to Harry's. Ron passed Harry silently, sitting behind him in his assigned seat. "You left the Great Hall so suddenly, I was worried, but Draco said you'd be fine, and—"

"Right, and he would know, wouldn't he?" Harry muttered. "I'm fine." He glared at people who stared at his cheek, daring them to say something.

"If looks could kill, Harry, I think half of this class would be dead," Hermione commented. "Look, Harry, are you upset about Gin—"

"I said," Harry interrupted through gritted teeth, "I'm fine. Drop it." Hermione sighed, but she said no more as the class began.

~~~

Severus, Draco, and Harry ate their supper downstairs. The house elves had brought enough food to feed them for three meals. Still, Harry didn't eat much. He just stared at his plate, pushing his food around with a fork.

"What happened to your cheek?" Severus asked Harry, who hadn't spoken for the whole meal.

"Mirror," he replied, simply. "Don't worry, I fixed it again."

"What got you so upset this time?"

"He asked—" Draco began. He was cut off by a glare from Harry, and was nice enough to shut up. "Nevermind." Severus, knowing that he wasn't going to get an answer, changed the subject.

"Do you two want to go into Hogsmeade tomorrow and buy your dress robes for the Ball?"

"I'm not going." Harry's voice was small and sad.

"Why not?" Severus asked, concerned.

"Come on, Harry! Yes, you should have asked Ginny sooner, but you can go without a date!"

"I'm not going." The words were the same, but the tone was more forceful.

"But it won't be as fun without you there, and—"

"Damn it, Draco, I just don't want to go, all right?!" Harry snapped. He stood from his chair and retrieved his Firebolt from the bedroom.

"Harry, sit down and finish this meal with us," Severus said, firmly, before Harry could leave. "You skipped breakfast, you hardly ate anything at lunch, and you ate even less just now. Sit down and finish everything on your plate."

"I had a sandwich an hour ago. I'm not hungry." Ignoring his father's calls, Harry left and headed out for the Quidditch pitch, where he began to fly off his frustrations as he waited for the rest of the team.

Half an hour later, Harry was sitting on a bench, catching his breath when he saw the Weasley twins coming out, as well as Oliver. They came over to him, and George raised his eyebrows when he saw that, although it was slightly cold out, Harry was soaked with sweat.

"How long have you been out here?"

"Half an hour," Harry responded, shrugging his shoulders.

"You all right, mate?" Fred asked, seeing the anger in Harry's eyes.

"I'm fine," Harry said, shortly.

"You're not supposed to be flying out here alone at night," Oliver commented. Harry glared at him.

"Do you think I really care right now?" With that, Harry mounted his broom again and continued to fly, dive, and flip, hoping that it would calm him down.

"That kid's going to get himself killed," Fred sighed. 

"He's not fine," George added. "Hermione said Harry asked Ginny if she had a date for the Ball, and she does already, but… That can't possibly be the only thing he's angry about."

"It doesn't help that Ron's still being a prat," Fred commented. "I hope Harry doesn't end up…doing something stupid again." He grinned, evilly. "Maybe we should do something to ickle Ronniekins, George? That would make Harry feel better."

"Worth a shot," George agreed.

~~~

Later that night, Harry quietly made his way into the Snape chambers and went into his bedroom. Draco was asleep, and Severus was in the master bedroom, with the door closed.

Harry put his Firebolt under his bed, then proceeded to change into his pajamas. He climbed into bed and whispered '_Silencio_' almost soundlessly. Finally, he lay down and went to sleep.

~~~

****

Saturday, February 5, 1994

"Come on, Harry, you're coming to Hogsmeade with us." Draco's voice interrupted Harry's thoughts as the younger boy tried to do homework the next morning.

"I'd only need to go to Hogsmeade if I needed dress robes. I'd only need dress robes if I was going to the Ball. I'm not going to the Ball; therefore, I don't need dress robes; therefore, I'm not going to Hogsmeade."

"But you _are_ going to the Ball," Draco insisted, pulling on Harry's arm. "Colin cancelled on Ginny, and I asked her if she'd go with you. She said yes, and she looked plenty happy about it." Harry jerked his arm away.

"Thanks, Draco. I really appreciate your decision to take my life into your own hands." His tone was dripping with sarcasm.

"I aim to please. Now get your arse up, we're leaving now. And Remus wants to take you out to lunch."

Two hours later, Harry had gotten his dark blue dress robes. He then went to the Three Broomsticks, to have lunch with Remus.

"Harry, I'm going to get straight to the point," Remus said when they got their meals. "What's been going on with you lately? You're always so angry, you won't talk to anyone, you're losing weight, you break mirrors… Your dad, Draco, and I… We're worried about you."

"I've been frustrated. I've been stressed. I've been angry. That happens to people sometimes; why should it be any different with me?" Harry glanced at his godfather. "I'm not taking it out on myself again, if that's what you're worried about."

"I didn't think you were," Remus assured him. "What's caused so much stress?"

"Quidditch practices, homework, _make-up_ homework, all these…changes…from Mum's charm wearing off… Ron's still mad at me, too."

"Have you tried talking to him?" Harry nodded.

"A couple of times. Hermione, Draco, Ginny, and the twins have, as well. I reckon the friendship's over."

"Keep trying," Remus told him. "I remember once, in my fourth year, when Sirius and I had a fight. He wouldn't speak to me for three months, and by that time, we didn't even remember what we'd been fighting about."

"Ron will remember," Harry sighed. "He's mad because I didn't tell him I was adopted. He's hated Dad for years, but the insults and everything, they've gotten worse since term started, because he's mad at me."

"Then he's not worth worrying about, Harry," Remus said, softly. "If he's being this immature and childish about the whole thing, then forget about him."

"I've been spending most of my nights in the dungeons because I can't be in the same room as Ron. I think I'm going to do what Draco did and move all of my stuff down there permanently."

"That's probably a good idea," Remus agreed. "I'll help in any way I can."

"Thanks, Remus."


	20. Chapter 20

Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize.

~~~

****

Saturday, February 12, 1994-Valentine's Day Ball

"Harry!" Draco called through the bathroom door. "Come on, hurry up! We've got five minutes until it's time to meet the girls!"

"I'm coming!" Harry snapped. 

He opened the door, and Draco's mouth dropped open. Harry was dressed in his dark green dress robes, which showed off his emerald eyes. The charms had pretty much completely worn off, and Harry was now almost a carbon-copy of Severus, only younger. Harry's skin was more pale, though not sickly-pale, and his cheekbones were more defined. His jet black hair reached his shoulders, but instead of being wavy like his father's, Harry had used a straightening charm on it. He also no longer needed his glasses. He looked quite sexy, in Draco's opinion.

"Oh, how I wish you weren't my brother... Dad! Dad, come here!" When Severus came, Draco hugged him tightly. "Daddy, _please_, can you disown one of us, just for tonight?" Severus chuckled when he saw the blush creeping to Harry's cheeks.

"You look good, boys. And no, Draco, I'm sorry. Now go up and get your dates; I'm going to the Great Hall."

Draco and Harry quickly went up to Gryffindor Tower. Harry spoke the password, and the portrait swung open. The boys went inside and found Ginny and Hermione in the common room, waiting for them. Harry and Draco went over to their dates and, in unison, bowed, took the girls' hands, and kissed them.

"Hello, ladies," Draco said, smiling charmingly. "You're both looking beautiful, as always." The boys offered their arms to the girls, and the four of them went downstairs.

The Great Hall was cleared of all its tables, except for a few small ones lining the walls. There was a stage in the front, and a man was playing both wizard and Muggle music, though it was mostly wizard music. Lights shone back and forth from the ceiling, and red and pink decorations were everywhere. Couples (and singles) were already on the floor, dancing. Draco led Hermione out to dance, while Harry and Ginny hung back.

"Somehow I get the feeling that Draco's going to make us dance tonight," Harry commented. "He's crazy, that one." Ginny giggled.

"Do you dance?" she wondered.

"Sometimes," Harry responded. "I'm not very good; I don't like to do it much."

"I don't, either," Ginny agreed. "But I thought it would be fun to come, anyway. We get to watch other people make fools of themselves."

"Like Fred and George?" Harry offered, pointing at the twins, who were slow dancing together. 

"Yes, like Fred and George. I think they're more mental than Draco is." Ginny and Harry went to a table and sat down. "You look good, Harry. You really do look like Professor Snape. But you also have more of your mum in you than you had when the charms were on."

"Do I, really? I knew I was looking a lot like Dad, but I couldn't really see much of Mum in me except for my eyes." Ginny reached up to touch his hair.

"There's a red tint to your hair," she told him. "Your mum had red hair, right?" Harry nodded. "This look suits you." 

"Well, I'm glad you approve," Harry said, smiling. 

An hour later, Ginny and Harry were getting headaches from the loud music. They went out to the hallway outside the entrance to the Great Hall, and they sat on the stairs.

"That's much better. A lot quieter." Ginny looked up at Harry, who had a pained expression on his face. "Are you all right, Harry? You're getting kind of pale, if that's possible for you." 

Harry closed his eyes as beads of sweat formed on his forehead, and his arms and legs began to shake a little. Ginny rested a hand on his shoulder, and he suddenly fell to the floor.

"Oh, Merlin, Harry, are you all right?" Ginny asked, worriedly, as she knelt next to Harry, who felt like his chest was tightening. "Harry, I'm going to go find your dad, okay?" She got up, but Harry grabbed her hand.

"No, stay," he whispered, weakly. "Don't leave...me alone..." He closed his eyes, squeezing Ginny's hand.

__

-Draco...

~~~

A Muggle ballad started playing, and Draco wrapped his arms around Hermione's waist. She put hers around his neck, and they began to sway to the music, speaking quietly to one another.

"You look stunning, Hermione," Draco said, softly. The girl blushed. Draco pulled her closer, letting her rest her head on his shoulder.

"You don't look so bad, yourself," she whispered. She suddenly felt Draco tense up. "Draco? What is it?"

"Something's wrong," he said, quietly, as he pulled away. He closed his eyes and began to concentrate. "He's in pain, I can feel it..."

__

-Draco, help. Get Dad, I'm by the stairs...outside the Great Hall...

"Draco, say something," Hermione pleaded. "You're scaring me." Draco grabbed her hand and began to push through the crowd, searching frantically for Severus.

"Damn it, where the bloody hell is he?" Draco almost shouted. He suddenly stopped running and turned to look at Hermione, placing his hands on her shoulders. "Hermione, listen to me. I need you to find my dad as quickly as you can. Tell him that I said something's wrong, and bring him to the stairs outside." He pointed towards the doors. "I'll be right through there. Find him as fast as you can. All right?" 

Hermione nodded and began searching, while Draco ran out to the hallway. He rushed towards Ginny and Harry and knelt down, gently taking Harry's face in his hands.

"Harry, stay awake and tell me what happened," Draco said, softly, as he smoothed back his brother's sweat-soaked hair. "Merlin, you're burning up. Ginny, take off his robes." Ginny did so, and Harry was left in only his shirt and pants.

"Where's...Dad?" Harry asked, weakly, as he stared up at his brother.

"Don't worry, Hermione's looking for him," Draco said, soothingly. "She'll bring him out as soon as she finds him. Harry, did you have a flashback?" Harry slowly shook his head back and forth.

"Something's going to happen..." he whispered. "Something bad..." He inhaled and suddenly started to gasp for breath, just as Severus and Hermione ran through the doors. They were followed by Remus, Dumbledore, and McGonagall, as well as the Weasley twins.

"Dad, he's burning up," Draco said as Severus took Ginny's place beside Harry. "He didn't have a flashback, but he said that something bad is going to happen." 

Severus helped Harry to sit up a little, and then poured a vial of Panic Potion into the boy's mouth. Then he just held Harry in his arms as the potion began to take effect. Harry's breathing eased, and his shivering stopped. Severus looked at the twins, then nodded pointedly towards Hermione and Ginny, who were nearly in shock. Fred and George nodded and took the girls back into the Great Hall.

"Harry, did you see something?" Severus asked, softly. Harry nodded, taking deep, shaky breaths as he nestled his face in his father's neck. "What did you see?"

"Lots of things," Harry said, quietly. "Lake...Draco... Draco was hurt... Someone at the gates... He was hurt, too... Me and Draco...You...Voldemort..."

"Was this the first time you saw something like this?" Harry slowly shook his head. "Have you been having nightmares?" Harry nodded, ashamed.

"I put up...silencing spells..." he whispered. "You told me not to... But I did anyway... I'm sorry, Daddy..." Severus sighed and hugged him tightly.

"I know you are," he said, softly. "But no more of that, all right?" Harry nodded. "Have you been writing down what you see in your nightmares?"

"Some of them," Harry replied. "It's downstairs." Severus stood up, lifting Harry up with him. "Draco?"

"Yeah, Harry?"

"Go," Harry started, pointing towards the Great Hall. He took a deep, painful breath. "Go tell Ginny I'm sorry..." 

Draco nodded and ran back into the other room, while Severus carried Harry down to the dungeons. Dumbledore, McGonagall, and Remus followed. Once down there, Severus asked Harry where his recorded nightmares were, and then put the boy to bed in the master bedroom.

"I'll be right in the other room, Harry, if you need me," Severus said before leaving the bedroom. He went into the living room, where the others were waiting, and he looked through the parchments. "A whole month of nightmares, and I didn't even know about them." Severus sighed and began to read, as Draco returned to the chambers.

Within an hour, the five had read about all of Harry's nightmares. Some of them were the usual flashbacks. Others were about people being attacked. One nightmare showed a man dressed in torn, thin robes, collapsed in front of Hogwarts' gates; in the dream, that image changed from the man to a large black dog. Another showed Draco and Harry, beaten and starved in a cage. Yet another showed Draco being attacked, beaten up, and raped, then thrown into the Hogwarts lake. 

"Dear Merlin, how can the poor boy stand it?" McGonagall whispered, tears welling up in her eyes as she read about a particularly graphic nightmare.

"Dad!!" Everyone was startled when they heard Harry's voice from the bedroom. Severus rushed to him and stopped in the doorway when he saw the boy was awake.

"What's wrong, son?"

"Where's Lily?" Harry asked in a small voice. As if on cue, the black cat ran in and jumped onto the bed, curling up next to Harry on the mattress.

"Do you need anything?" Severus asked. Harry shook his head, closing his eyes again, and Severus went back out to the other room.

"We'll need to take extra precautions and safety measures," Dumbledore said, his normally sparkling eyes now dull and tired. "Draco and Harry are not to go anywhere alone, even on Hogwarts grounds. I'll see about putting up extra wards around the castle. Severus, if the boys go to Hogsmeade, they must stay with either yourself or another teacher."

"Albus, I think I know what one of these nightmares means," Remus said, suddenly, in a shaky voice. He looked up and glanced around at everyone. "The man collapsed in front of the gates, and then the dog. That's Sirius. He, James, and Peter became unregistered Animagi, to help me through my transformations every month. Sirius's Animagus form was a large black dog."

"But that's...impossible," Draco said, quietly. "It's been over three years since he disappeared, hasn't it?" Remus nodded.

"Draco, go on to bed, unless you want to go back to the Ball," Severus requested. Draco nodded and headed back upstairs, to the Great Hall. Once there, he found Hermione, Ginny, Fred, and George. 

"Is Harry all right?" Hermione asked, concerned. "What happened?" Draco sat in a chair, resting his elbows on his knees and running his hands through his hair.

"He's okay. He had some..._visions_... It was kind of like when he has flashbacks." Draco told them about the nightmares, and the precautions that Dumbledore was talking about for the boys' safety. "Harry's asleep now. Dad told me to either go to bed, or come back up here, and after finding out what was in those nightmares, I can't sleep..." 

Hermione knelt down next to Draco's chair, gently rubbing his back and leaning her head on his shoulder. Draco held Hermione's hand and picked his head up. Fred and George were watching him, and Ginny was staring at the floor.

"Ginny's been really worried," Hermione whispered to Draco. "Ask her to dance and talk to her." Draco nodded and stood up. He took Ginny's hand.

"Come on, love," he said, softly. 

He led Ginny out to the dance floor for a slow song. He showed her what to do with her arms, then wrapped his own around her waist, pulling her close and letting her lay her head on his chest.

"Don't worry, Ginny," Draco said, soothingly. He reached his hand up and gently stroked her hair. "Harry's going to be just fine."

"I was so scared, Draco," Ginny whispered, tears welling up in her eyes. "He started shaking and fell over, and I couldn't do anything about it…"

"You did what you could, and that's what matters." Draco rested his cheek on top of Ginny's head, and the two were silent for a moment, until Draco spoke again. "Would you like to have lunch downstairs with us tomorrow? You can see for yourself that Harry's all right." Ginny nodded her head. "All right, then. I'll have to check with my dad, of course, but I'm sure it will be fine. When the dance is over, you can come down with me and we'll ask, and I'll take you up to your tower. Sound good?"

"Thanks, Draco," Ginny said, hugging him as the song ended. Draco kissed her forehead. 

"You're welcome, love." 

~~~

Later that night, Draco led Ginny to the dungeons and found Severus sitting in the living room, reading over Harry's nightmares again. He looked up when he heard them come in.

"Dad, is it all right if Ginny comes down here for lunch with us tomorrow?" He gave his father a 'look' that, thankfully, Ginny didn't see.

"Well, I was planning on taking you and Harry to London for the day," Severus replied. "But Miss Weasley is welcome to join us." 

"Want to?" Draco asked Ginny.

"If it isn't any trouble," she replied, quietly.

"We'll be leaving around eleven tomorrow morning," Severus told her. 

"Meet us in the Great Hall at ten forty-five," Draco told Ginny, who nodded. "Thanks, Dad. I'm going to take Ginny upstairs."

"Goodnight, Miss Weasley," Severus said as they left.

"Goodnight, Professor," Ginny called back.

After returning Ginny to her tower, Draco went back downstairs. Severus was no longer in the main room, so Draco peered into the master bedroom. Severus was sitting on the bed with Harry, cradling the boy in his arms and whispering to him. The older man looked at Draco with tired eyes.

"Go on to bed, Draco," Severus said, softly. Draco shook his head and crossed the room to the bed.

"No, _you_ go to bed, Dad. I'll stay with Harry." Severus sighed when he saw that Draco wasn't going to take 'no' for an answer.

"Fine." He kissed Harry's forehead. "Goodnight, Harry. Draco's going to stay here with you." He climbed off the bed, then gave Draco a hug before he left the room. Draco sat on the bed with Harry and held him tightly until they both fell asleep.


	21. Chapter 21

Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize.

~~~

****

Sunday, February 13, 1994-**London**

Severus, Draco, Harry, Hermione, and Ginny were dressed in Muggle clothes, so that they wouldn't attract too much attention from Muggles as they wandered the streets of London. Severus, Draco, and Ginny didn't know much about Muggle ways, so they were relying on Harry and Hermione to know what was going on. They'd decided that Hermione should come with them because she probably knew the most about Muggle ways out of all of them, as Harry hadn't been allowed out much.

"Where do you kids want to go?" Severus asked.

"There's a park down that way," Hermione said, pointing at a park with a lake. "We've been walking for a while. Maybe we should sit down and take a break." 

Everyone agreed, and they went down to sit by the lake. Severus sat on a bench, while Harry and Ginny sat on another together. Draco and Hermione sat on the ground, at the edge of the lake. A few ducks came out of the water to greet them.

"Oh, I wish we had some bread or something," Hermione said. "We could feed the ducks." 

Severus glanced around, then quickly conjured up a loaf of bread, handing it to Hermione. She broke the bread into pieces, and the four kids took some, letting the ducks eat out of their hands. One of the ducks went after every handful of bread he saw, trying to get it before the others.

"This one's greedy," Ginny giggled. She tossed a bit of bread to the duck, who caught it. "There, now go away!" Ginny sat back on the bench with Harry, who took her hand and stood up.

"Let's go for a walk," he said, softly. She nodded, and the two began to walk around the large lake. "I'm sorry I scared you last night, Gin." 

"It's all right," Ginny assured him, squeezing his hand. "I was just worried about you... How are you feeling now?"

"Better," Harry replied. "I slept better last night; Draco stayed with me, and he woke me up when I had nightmares."

"He really cares about you," Ginny said. "All three of you really care about each other. It's obvious."

"I love them," Harry said, simply. "They're really the only family I've ever known. I don't remember Mum and James, and the Dursleys--"

Suddenly, Harry's grip on Ginny's hand tightened, and he stopped walking. He stared about fifty feet to his right, at a group of three large people.

"They're here," Harry whispered. "The Dursleys are here..."

"Shh, Harry, it's all right. They won't recognize you; you look completely different." Ginny winced as she heard Draco calling Harry's name.

"Harry!" he shouted. "Harry Potter-Snape, get your arse over here!"

__

-Draco, shut up! Don't call my name like that!

"Oh, Merlin, it's too late," Harry whispered as Vernon Dursley spotted him. 

The man came closer, wondering if this really was Harry Potter. Then he saw the scar. Ginny and Harry were frozen with terror as Vernon turned purple with rage. He grabbed Harry by his neck and pushed him up against a tree.

"What the bloody hell are _you_ doing here, you _freak_?!" Vernon hissed. "Shouldn't you be off at your _freak_ school? Or did you like your punishments so much that you wanted to come back for more?" He pressed his hand tighter around Harry's neck, causing the boy to gasp for air.

Suddenly, Harry fell to the ground, no longer held up by Vernon's hand. The man had been pulled back and turned around, and he found himself facing Severus, who was seething with anger.

"Dursley, it would do you well to keep your hands _off_ of my _son_," Severus warned him, pulling the Muggle off the ground by the collar of his shirt.

"Harry?" Ginny said, quietly, as she, Draco, and Hermione knelt down next to him. He was breathing heavily as he slowly opened his eyes. He almost instantly closed them again, whimpering as he still felt the pain of Vernon's thumb pressing into his neck, blocking his airway.

"Harry, open your eyes," Draco said, softly. "Keep them open, so we know you're awake."

"Do you know what the Dark Arts are, Dursley?" Severus said in a low, steady voice. "The Dark Arts are the most evil kinds of _magic_. Spells, charms, curses--all intended to cause pain. I could demonstrate for you, if you'd like; I'd most certainly enjoy it, though it wouldn't come close to paying you back for all the torture that you've put Harry through."

"Dad!" Draco shouted, his voice filled with fear and worry. Severus nodded at him, then looked back at Vernon.

"If you do not want that demonstration, Dursley, then I suggest that you get out of my sight." With that, he used the Memory Charm on all three Dursleys, as they were the only Muggles around to witness what had happened. The Dursleys left without question, and Severus rushed over to where Harry lay with his head in Hermione's lap. The skin of Harry's neck was bright red, and finger-shaped bruises were appearing. He kept coughing, and could only manage short, rapid breaths.

"Harry, calm down," Severus murmured, lifting the boy into his arms. To the other kids, he said, "We have to go back to the castle. Merlin, it would be so much faster if I wasn't the only one able to Apparate."

"Dad, I-I know how to Apparate," Draco said in a small voice.

"But we couldn't Apparate _into_ the castle," Hermione protested. "We'd have to go through Hogsmeade, and that would take a while. What we should do is get to The Leaky Cauldron and use the fireplace." Severus nodded his agreement, and looked at Draco.

"You're sure you can Apparate?" Draco nodded and took each of the girls' hands. "Hermione, hold onto me, just in case." Hermione took her free and and held onto Severus's arm. "We'll Apparate into The Leaky Cauldron, and then go through the fireplace. Draco, on the count of three. One...two...three."

With a *pop* the group found themselves in the middle of The Leaky Cauldron. There was hardly anybody in there, aside from Tom, the owner.

"Tom, we need to use your Floo," Severus said before Tom could speak. "It's an emergency."

"Go right ahead, Severus," Tom said. Severus looked at the kids.

"Draco, you go first. Then Hermione, then Ginny, and I'll bring Harry last. Just throw the powder in and say 'Hogwarts hospital wing.'"

Within moments, they were all in the hospital wing, much to Madam Pomfrey's surprise. The kids stood back while Severus came through the fireplace with Harry. He rushed the boy to a bed and put him down, kneeling on the floor by Harry as Madam Pomfrey began to examine him.

"We had a run-in with the Dursleys," Severus explained. "Harry's uncle--if you can call him that anymore--picked Harry up by his neck and threw him up against a tree. He was trying to strangle him; he used his thumb to block off Harry's airway. I pulled Dursley away, and Harry fell to the ground."

"Harry, dear, can you hear me?" Madam Pomfrey asked, softly. Harry nodded, slightly, his eyelids drooping. "I need you to inhale as deeply as you can, all right?" Harry shook his head.

"It hurts..." he whispered. "Make it stop..." Pomfrey looked at the other kids, then at Severus.

"The other children must leave," she said, quietly. "They've already seen enough." Severus nodded and went over to where Draco was holding the girls' hands.

"I need you three to do something for me, all right?" Severus said, gently. "Go to the Headmaster's office and tell him what happened. Ask him to inform Remus, as well. Then Draco, take the girls down to our quarters. I'll be down in a little while." 

Draco nodded and led the girls out of the room. First they went to Dumbledore, who thanked them and headed for the hospital wing. Then they went to the first floor, where they were met with the twins. They explained what happened to Fred and George, and those two joined the group as they headed down to the dungeons.

The group sat in silence in the living room while they waited for Severus. Hermione sat in a chair with Draco, and Ginny sat between her brothers on the sofa. George hugged Ginny tightly, whispering to her that things would be all right soon.

Finally, after an hour or so, Severus came into the room. He held Harry's hand in his own as the boy walked slowly beside him. Severus shook his head at the group, and he took Harry to the bedroom, tucking him in under a light blanket. Then the older wizard came out to the main room.

"He'll be just fine," Severus assured them. "As you can imagine, he's a little shaken up and tired, so he'll be resting for the remainder of the day. He'll be sleeping for several hours yet; Madam Pomfrey gave him a Sleeping Potion. But he should be up for supper, if you'd all like to come back down later and eat with us."


	22. Chapter 22

Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize.

~~~

****

Saturday, February 19, 1994

"Severus!" Remus shouted, running through the Great Hall to the High Table near the end of breakfast. The few students who remained watched in surprise, as they'd never seen their Defense teacher so worked up.

"What's the matter, Remus?" Severus asked, concerned. Remus thrust a piece of parchment into his friend's hands. It was the Marauder's Map.

"Look by the gates," Remus told him, pointing at a flickering black dot.

"Sirius Black," Severus murmured in shock. "Remus, what does the flickering mean?"

"It means he's barely alive. Severus, I know you never liked Sirius, but please, help me get him up to Poppy." Remus gave Severus a pleading look, and Severus agreed. The two ran out of the castle, to the gates.

In front of the gates was what looked like a pile of black robes. As the two men looked closer, they found a body hidden beneath the torn, tattered robes. It was a man with black hair. He was thin; as thin as Harry had been when he returned to Hogwarts after the summer.

Severus removed the robes from the unconscious man, revealing an old, thin shirt that was stained with blood, and thin black pants. While Severus tried to heal the various cuts and other open wounds, Remus took an inventory of injuries with his wand.

"Broken ribs, concussion, fractured arm, broken leg, dislocated shoulder, _punctured lung_? Merlin, Severus, we have to get him to Poppy _now_." 

Remus conjured a stretcher, and Severus levitated Sirius onto it. The two quickly took Sirius up to the hospital wing, ignoring the stares of students. Madam Pomfrey ran to the bed when Severus put Sirius on it.

"Oh, my-- Is this--" she stuttered.

"Sirius Black," Remus said, shakily. "He has broken ribs, a concussion, a fractured arm, a broken leg, a dislocated shoulder, and a punctured lung. That's what I found, but I'm sure there's more." Severus pulled Remus aside as Pomfrey began to take care of Sirius.

"I'll get someone to cover your classes for the day," Severus offered. Remus nodded his head.

"Thanks, Severus."

"You're welcome. I have to get to my class now, but I'll come by later and see how he's doing."

Severus reached his classroom just as it was time to start. The third-year Slytherins and Gryffindors took their seats, and Severus sat at his desk, rummaging through his books for a few moments.

"All right. Read Chapter Twelve in your textbooks, and write an eighteen-inch essay on the ingredients outlined in the chapter. That will be your homework for the weekend. Please work on it _in class_."

"Something's wrong," Harry whispered to Draco. "He's never given us so little work." Draco agreed.

"Should we ask him?" Before Harry could reply, Severus spoke again.

"Mr. Snape and Mr. Snape, please come into my office." All three Snapes went into the small office room behind Severus's desk, and they sat at the table that was in there. 

"Something wrong, Dad?" Draco asked. Severus leaned back in his chair, taking a breath and tapping his fingers together.

"Harry, do you remember having a nightmare in which a man was collapsed in front of the gates?" Harry slowly nodded his head. "This morning, Remus and I found a man unconscious outside. We brought him inside, and he's upstairs in the hospital wing with many broken bones, a concussion, a punctured lung, and Merline knows what else. It didn't look good for him when I was up there."

"Who is he?" Harry asked, quietly. Severus didn't answer right away. "Dad, please, tell me who he is." Severus sighed.

"Sirius Black." Draco's eyes widened, as Harry's face paled. "Remus and Madam Pomfrey are doing all they can for him right now. I'm going back up later to see how he is. I just wanted to tell you two, because... Well, you had the right to know. But as of now, there's nothing that you can do. All right? Now go back out there. If you can't work on your essay right now, at least fake it." 

Draco nodded and took Harry by his arm, gently leading him into the classroom. The older boy glared at the students who stared at Harry as they went back to their desks.

"Harry, are you okay?" Hermione asked, quietly, when Harry sat next to her; Draco sat on the other side of Harry.

"Fine..." Harry mumbled. Hermione glanced at Draco, who shook his head, silently telling her not to ask questions. Hermione just reached over and squeezed Harry's hand, then went back to her work.

~~~

Near the end of class, Remus came into the room. He looked a little pale and shaky as he leaned over to speak to Severus.

"Sirius is awake," Remus said, softly. "Barely, but he's awake. Poppy fixed his lung, and we've done everything in our power, for now. I talked to him for a few minutes and explained what I knew about the situation, and he's pretty coherent. He knows he's at Hogwarts, and he was asking about Harry. I thought he might like to see him." Severus nodded and called Harry up to the desk.

"Harry, would you like to see Sirius? Remus says he's awake and asking about you." Harry nodded. Remus placed a hand on his shoulder and took him up to the hospital wing.

"Sirius?" Remus said, quietly, as he sat on the edge of Sirius's bed. Sirius slowly opened his eyes. "Sirius, Harry's here to see you." Sirius's eyes brightened a little as Harry took Remus's place next to him.

"Hi, Sirius," Harry said, shyly. Sirius smiled weakly and tried to reach up for Harry's hand. Harry placed his hand in the older man's and squeezed it.

"Oh, Harry..." Sirius whispered. "It's been so long... I missed you..." Harry smiled. "Oh, you were just...a baby..."

"How are you feeling, Sirius?" Harry asked, softly. To himself, he said, _I feel so bad, I don't even remember the man. What am I supposed to say?_

"I feel great…" Sirius murmured with a small smile. Remus chuckled. "I'll be just fine…in no time, Harry…"

"When you're allowed out, I'll take you out to lunch or something, all right?" Harry suggested. "We'll catch up on the past twelve years." Sirius nodded.

"I'd like that," he mumbled, sleepily.

"Sirius, Harry has to go back to class for the rest of the day," Remus said. "All right?" Sirius nodded again.

"I'll come back later this afternoon," Harry promised. He squeezed Sirius's hand one last time, then left the hospital wing and headed for his Charms class, only to find that it was cancelled for the day. Harry and Hermione went down to the Great Hall and sat at a table.

"What's the matter, Harry?" Hermione asked, softly. "You look upset." Harry sighed, running his fingers through his hair, and told Hermione the whole story about Sirius. 

"So I just went to visit him for a while in the hospital wing," Harry said. "His eyes lit up when he saw me, and he talked about how much he missed me... I just can't remember anything about him, Hermione, and I feel so bad because he has know idea what's been going on since he disappeared." Hermione placed a comforting hand on Harry's.

"Things will be explained to him, sooner or later, Harry," she assured him. "I'm sure everything will turn out just fine. But you just have to give it time." Harry nodded, then suddenly groaned as he heard Draco behind him.

"Hey, Harry, hey, Hermione, what's up?"

"Obviously your mood is," Harry muttered, good-naturedly. He winked at Hermione. "Actually, Draco, I was just informing Hermione of how you are hopelessly in love with her."

"What?!" Hermione and Draco both exclaimed. Harry just gave an amused smile, shaking his head before burying it in his arms on the table. Draco sat next to Harry, resting a hand on the younger boy's back.

"How'd it go?" he asked, softly.

"Sirius is doing better than Dad thought," Harry replied. "He was awake and talking to me for nearly twenty minutes. But he looks really bad, you know? He's really thin, and there's cuts and bruises all over..."

"So basically, he's either you or me when we came to Hogwarts this year?" Draco guessed. Sighing, Harry nodded his head, and nobody spoke about that topic anymore.

"Why aren't you in class, Draco?" Hermione wondered. 

"Dad couldn't get anyone to cover the Defense class this hour, so we have it free," Draco explained. He looked at Harry, who had closed his eyes. "You, my dear brother, look like shite."

"Thanks, Draco," Harry mumbled. "I love you, too."

"You sick or something?" Draco wondered. Harry shook his head.

"I'm not getting sick, I'm not tired, and I'm _not_ missing any more classes this year," he said, defiantly, before launching into a coughing fit.

"Not only do you _look_ like shite, you're full of it, too," Draco joked. Harry glared at him, then began to cough some more.

"Harry, maybe you should go to the infirmary, just in case," Hermione suggested as Harry covered his mouth. He shook his head, coughed a little more, and uncovered his mouth.

"No. See? I'm fine." Hermione just stared at Harry's mouth, as did Draco. "What are you looking at?"

"Harry, get your arse up. We're going up to the hospital wing _now_." Draco pulled Harry up by his arm, but Harry jerked away. Draco then made his brother touch the corner of his mouth and showed him his finger. "Do you see that, Harry? That's blood that you just coughed up. Now if you don't cooperate and come upstairs, I'm going to stun you and take you up there myself." 

Harry only stared at the blood on his finger, then suddenly began to cough even more, releasing more blood.

"It's a good thing I'm still a lot bigger than you are," Draco sighed. He carefully lifted Harry up into his arms. "Damn, you're light... Try to hold still, all right, Harry? If you don't, I'll drop you." Harry didn't reply; he was completely silent. "Harry?" Hermione ran to Draco's side, looking at Harry's face.

"He's out," she said, and they rushed upstairs. Madam Pomfrey met them at the door, frowning when she saw Harry.

"What's he done now?" she sighed, leading them to a bed. Draco lowered Harry to the mattress.

"I thought he looked sick," Draco explained. "But he insisted that he was fine, until he started coughing. He didn't really stop until he passed out, and he coughed up some blood."

"Oh, dear," Pomfrey murmured, examining Harry. "I swear to Merlin, by the time this boy gets out of Hogwarts, he'll be more than qualified for my job."

"He may as well take up a permanent residency in here, Poppy," Remus said, coming out from behind the curtains around Sirius's bed.

"So what's wrong with him?" Draco wondered after a few minutes.

"Pneumonia," Pomfrey replied. "Not too severe, I don't think. He should be all right in a few days; a week, at most." 

"Draco, go let your dad know," Remus instructed him. Draco nodded, and he and Hermione left.

"I need to go to my tower before lunch," Hermione told Draco. "So I'll see you later, all right?"

"Wait," Draco said, suddenly, as he grabbed her hand. He leaned over and gently kissed her lips. Pulling away, he smiled shyly. "Yeah, I'll see you later." With that, Draco ran down to the Potions classroom. Severus noticed his son as he stood in the doorway.

"What's wrong now, Draco?" he asked. Draco smiled, innocently.

"What, can't a boy just come to his father's class to visit?" he asked. Severus glared at him. "No? All right, then. Um, Harry's kind of-- Well, he's sick. He was coughing real bad in the Great Hall, and he coughed up some blood, so I took him upstairs; he passed out on the way to the hospital wing. Madam Pomfrey says it's pneumonia, and he should be out for a week, at most. Remus told me to tell you."

"It's always something with that boy, isn't it?" Severus sighed. Draco nodded his agreement.

"Madam Pomfrey said that by the time Harry leaves Hogwarts, he'll be more than qualified for her job," he told his father, smiling a little. "Oh, but his visit with Sirius went well!"

"Well, there's _one_ thing good that happened today," Severus muttered. "I don't have anymore classes after this one, so I'll go up and see him at lunchtime." Draco nodded. "Now, don't you go getting sick, too, all right?"

"I'll try," Draco promised, grinning. "I'll see you later, Dad." With that, he went back to the hospital wing.


	23. Chapter 23

Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize.

~~~

__

The pain was immense. There wasn't an inch of the boy's body that hadn't been abused in some way, and he could feel nothing but pain. He was being carried somewhere; it was cold, he could tell. But he couldn't open his eyes to see where they were taking him.

Suddenly, he felt himself being thrown, and he landed somewhere with a splash. A splash? Water...

He couldn't move his arms or legs, and he felt his mouth filling with water. Help! I can't breathe...

~~~

****

Tuesday, February 22, 1994

"Draco!" Harry cried as he awoke from his dream. He felt himself shaking with fear as he looked around the room.

"Harry, what's wrong?" Remus asked, crossing the room from his seat by Sirius's bed. He sat next to Harry, taking him by his shoulders. "Calm down and tell me what's wrong."

"Where's Draco?" Harry whispered as tears streamed down his cheeks. "Something's wrong, I need the map, Remus!" The older man held his hand out towards a table.

"_Accio_ map," he said, forcefully. The piece of parchment flew to him, and he looked for Draco's name on the map. "He's by the lake." Harry's eyes widened.

"He's not _by_ the lake! He's _in_ the lake!" 

He jumped off the bed, ignoring the wave of dizziness that came over him. Remus following him, Harry ran as quickly as he could out of the castle, heading for the lake. He screamed when he saw a green cloak floating on the surface of the water. A blond head was sticking out of the robe, face down.

"Draco!" Harry shouted. He began to run to the water, but Remus pulled him back.

"Harry, go get Hagrid," he said, pointing towards the hut. "I'll get Draco out of the water. _Go get Hagrid_."

As Harry ran towards the hut, Remus levitated Draco's lifeless body out of the lake and to the grass. His eyes widened, and he could barely suppress the urge to vomit when he saw the boy. Draco was clothed in only a pair of boxer shorts, aside from the robe. Nearly every visible spot on his body was covered with bruises, cuts, and blood, including a particularly nasty gash in his side. One of his eyes was swollen, and blood dripped from his mouth.

Remus heard Hagrid and Harry coming back out, and so he tried to quickly cover Draco's body with the robe again. But he was too late. Harry let out a strangled cry when he saw his brother's body. He slowly made his way to the older boy and knelt down, reaching out a shaky hand to touch his face.

"Is he—" 

Remus cut Harry off by shaking his head. The older wizard pointed his wand at Draco and muttered a few words, causing Draco to twitch a little before coughing up some water. Remus then checked to see if Draco was breathing and, thankfully, he was.

"Hagrid, I need you to take Draco up to Madam Pomfrey. Make sure that you keep him covered, _completely_, so that nobody can tell who he is. Harry, you are also to go back to the hospital wing and get back in bed. I'm going to go tell your father—"

"I want to tell Dad," Harry whispered, folding his arms defiantly over his chest. "Please, Remus." Remus sighed and nodded.

"I'm coming with you, though." Remus helped Harry to stand up and wrapped an arm around the boy, to keep him steady. "Thank you, Hagrid." Remus then took Harry up to Severus's Potions classroom, where Harry's class was just starting.

"Severus," Remus said in a soft voice from the doorway. 

Severus glanced at Draco's empty seat, then back at Remus's solemn face. Then he saw the tears streaming from Harry's eyes, and that was when he knew that something was wrong. Severus went out into the hallway with Remus and Harry. Harry immediately ran to Severus and hugged him tightly, crying into his chest.

"I'm sorry, Daddy, I saw it in my nightmares, and I didn't do anything to stop it," Harry sobbed. Severus looked at Remus in alarm. Remus took a breath.

"We just found Draco outside," he said, quietly. "He's been beaten quite severely, and was thrown into the lake. Hagrid has taken him upstairs." Severus didn't speak. He only knelt down in front of Harry and hugged him tightly, whispering to him. "Severus, go on upstairs with Harry. I'll inform your class that you won't be coming back." Severus nodded, numbly, and began to lead Harry away.

"Remus, tell Hermione," Harry suddenly requested, wiping his eyes. "Please. Tell her I want her to come up." 

Remus nodded, and Severus and Harry made their way up to the hospital wing. Sirius was sleeping in his bed, and a curtain was drawn around the bed that Draco was in. Hagrid stood outside the curtain, waiting for Harry. He wrapped the young boy in a hug.

"He'll be a'right, Harry," Hagrid whispered, sadly. "He's Draco. He'll be a'right." With that, Hagrid left. Severus took Harry back to his bed and made him lay down, then took the boy's hand and held it tightly in his own.

"Harry," Severus said, softly, after a moment. "Can you tell me exactly what happened?"

"I had a nightmare," Harry whispered. "Draco was in pain…and they threw him in the lake… I woke up and told Remus I needed the map… Draco was in the lake… I ran out to help him, but Remus told me to get Hagrid… Remus got Draco out of the water, and I-I thought he was dead… Covered in bruises and blood and…" 

Harry burst into tears again, just as Hermione burst through the door. She saw Harry and rushed to his bed, sitting next to him and hugging him. Remus and Dumbledore also came into the room, and Pomfrey peeked out from behind the curtain. Her face was pale, and she seemed to be crying a little.

"Remus, I need some help. I can't do this alone. And Albus, please call the Collins' twins and ask them to come over here." Albus nodded as Remus joined Pomfrey.

~~~

After half an hour, two young, nearly identical women appeared from the fireplace. Dumbledore shook their hands and thanked them for coming.

"Poppy, Adriana and Hailey Collins are here." Madam Pomfrey stuck her head out of the curtains again. 

"Hailey, come and assist me. Remus, you've done a good job this far. Go on and see how Sirius is doing. Adriana, please check on Harry over there."

Adriana made her way to Harry's bed, and Hermione gave up her seat next to the boy on the bed. Adriana sat down and gave Severus a small smile.

"Good to see you, Severus, though I wish it were under different circumstances." 

Severus nodded, and Adriana turned to Harry, who had calmed down considerably. He'd taken to wrapping his arms around himself and chewing on his fingernails. He stared across the room at the curtains around his brother's bed, as though he'd be able to see through them. 

"Hi, Harry," Adriana said, smiling warmly. "My name is Adriana Collins. What are you in for?"

"Pneumonia," Severus said, quietly, when Harry didn't reply. Severus reached over and took one of Harry's hands, squeezing it gently. "And um, he's kind of in some kind of shock. They're working on his brother over there." Adriana nodded in understanding as she began to examine Harry.

"Can you tell me how old you are, sweetheart?" she asked, checking his temperature and then looking into his eyes. Harry just kept staring at the curtains. "Harry? Let me know that you can hear me." Harry wiped his eyes and didn't answer. Adriana made him lay down on the bed. "_Accio_ Sleeping Potion." She caught the vial that flew towards her and made Harry drink from it. Within moments, he was asleep. "He'll be out for several hours, Severus."

"Thank you, Adriana," Severus said, softly. Adriana nodded and went to see if she could help with Draco. "Miss Granger, perhaps you should leave. There isn't anything you can do now except wait. If anything happens, I'll make sure you're told."

"Thank you, Professor," Hermione said. She kissed Harry's cheek, then stood up. "And don't worry; I won't tell anyone unless you want me to."

"Go ahead and inform Miss Weasley, and the twins," Severus said. "But nobody else yet." Hermione nodded and left.

~~~

At supper in the Great Hall that evening, Harry sat at the High Table between Remus and Severus. He was still upset and weak, but Dumbledore was making an announcement, and Harry wanted to hear it.

"I have an announcement, and a request," Dumbledore said, silencing any conversation that the students were having. "Early this morning, one of your peers was brutally attacked. We have reason to believe that students were involved in this attack. This young man, though now stabilized, is in bad shape. I ask that anyone who has information concerning the attack of Draco Snape, please come to my office after dinner tonight. If you have information, then you most-likely will not be punished. However, if you were one of the attackers, it would do you well to turn yourself in, for if you don't and we find out who you are, then the punishment will be a lot worse than if you turn yourself in." With that, Dumbledore sat back down and food appeared on all the tables.

"Do you think anyone will say anything?" Harry asked his father, quietly.

"I hope so," Severus replied. "But we won't know for sure until it happens." He leaned over and kissed the side of Harry's head. "Don't worry about it, son. Everything will turn out fine. Now, you eat a little bit, and when you're finished, Adriana is going to take you back upstairs. I'll be up later. All right?" 

Harry nodded, and within minutes, he was being escorted back up to the hospital wing. Once up there, Adriana started to lead Harry to his bed, but he stopped her.

"Can I sit with my brother for a while?" he asked in a small voice. Adriana sighed at the sad look in the boy's eyes.

"Sure you can, sweetheart," she agreed, softly. "But not too long." She took Harry to a chair that was next to Draco's bed. "And if you get tired and want to go to bed, call for one of us, and we'll help you." Harry nodded as he took Draco's hand.

The older boy didn't look nearly as bad now as he had when he'd been found. The medi-witches had mended the majority of his injuries and healed his cuts. The cuts were now faintly visible scars. The swelling by his eye was down. All that was needed now was for Draco to wake up.

"Hey, Draco," Harry murmured. "It's your brother... Me and Daddy, we're pretty worried about you, you know? It would make me feel a lot better if you opened your eyes or moved your fingers or something. Just to let me know you're all right." He paused for a moment, hopefully. "No? All right, then... Dumbledore made an announcement at dinner tonight. He said anyone who knows anything about who did this to you, they have to come talk to him. 

"We're going to find out who did this, Draco, I promise you that. And if I find out the names of those...those... Merlin, I can't even think of a name demeaning enough to describe them... Anyway, if I find out the names, then they're going to regret it because I might bloody well kill them. Nobody gets away with hurting my brother." Tears streamed down Harry's cheeks, but he continued to talk.

"I'm so sorry, Draco," he whispered. "I saw what was happening to you in my nightmares. I should have done something to stop them, but I didn't. I'm so sorry... Please, Draco, just open your eyes and start yelling at me or something. _Please_..."

At that moment, Adriana came over and rested a hand on Harry's shoulder. He didn't even acknowledge her. 

"That's enough for now, Harry," she said, softly. "You need to get some rest."

"Please, don't make me leave him," Harry pleaded, staring at his brother's still form. "Whenever I'm sick in here, he always stays with me until I wake up. Please, let me stay with him."

"Sweetheart, we don't know when he'll wake up," Adriana explained, gently. "And it wouldn't do you much good to spent the night in a chair like that. Come on, get into bed. You can sit with Draco some more in the morning."

"Can't I switch beds with Sirius?" Harry asked. Sirius's bed was on the other side of Draco's, whereas Harry's was across the room. 

"I'll tell you what. We'll move Sirius over here..." Adriana pointed her wand and levitated Sirius and his bed across the room. "Then we'll move that bedside table over _here_..." She did the same with the table. "And then we'll move _your_ bed..." She levitated Harry's bed and set it down right next to Draco's. "How's that?" Harry nodded.

"That's good. Thank you." Adriana then helped Harry into bed and covered him with a blanket. Harry reached over to grasp Draco's hand again.

"You and your brother are really close, eh?" Adriana asked, sitting next to Harry.

"He's my best friend," Harry confirmed. "He can be a prat sometimes, but I love him." Adriana smiled.

"Do you need anything?" she asked. Harry shook his head. "All right, then. Go on to sleep."


End file.
